The AlumNUS Jul-Sep 2014

The

ALUM

NUS ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE J U L– S E P 2 0 1 4 / I S S U E 9 8

MAKINGthe

s t r A

THE BOLD STROKES NUS ALUMNI ARE CREATING FOR A CITY OF THE ARTS

WORK

Contents

First Word

JUL-SEP 2014 ISSUE 98

2 IN THE NEWS 10 COVER STORY MAKING THE ARTS WORK 18 MY WORD TALKING WOMEN 20 ONCE UPON A MEMORY HOPE IN ACTION 22 ALUMNI SCENE A BEAUTIFUL MIND 24 CHANGEMAKER ONE BIG ADVENTURE 26 BREAKFAST DIALOGUE MR TANG KIN FEI 28 U@LIVE MR LIM SIONG GUAN, MR HSIEH FU HUA 32 ALUMNI HAPPENINGS 44 CLASS NOTES A GIFT OF POSSIBILITIES 46 CULTURE 48 LAST WORD

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WITH ART AND CULTURE, ONE MUST DARE TO TAKE RISKS, OR THERE WILL NOT BE ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE. YET THE MANAGEMENT SIDE OF IT IS KNOWING HOW TO ENSURE A STEADY STREAM OF FUNDING AS WELL AS BUILDING A BROAD SUPPORT BASE. MR TAN BOON HUI (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’93), GROUP DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMES, NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD

The

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NUS ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

ADVISOR Assoc Prof Victor R Savage (Arts and Social Sciences ’72) EDITOR Karin Yeo (Arts and Social Sciences ’97) PUBLISHING CONSULTANT MediaCorp Pte Ltd

The AlumNUS is published quarterly by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the NUS Office of Alumni Relations or the National University of Singapore. For more information or to read The AlumNUS online, please visit www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet.

DEAR FELLOW ALUMNI AND FRIENDS,

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ach July, we arrive at the end and beginning of a new cycle in the University’s calendar. We regard the graduation ceremonies as a pinnacle of your achievements in NUS and at the same time, your arrival as our new alumni – over 10,000 graduates become alumni each year.

In the past, alumni were accustomed to the term ‘convocation’ which defined a university assembly and ceremony for awarding degrees and academic awards. This term had no other symbolic reference. The word ‘commencement’, an American import, reflects a more symbolic reference. It defines not the end of university life but the beginning of a new chapter in your lives as alumni. Commencement thus initiates your future relationships with your alma mater. With a degree in hand, you initiate a new career, and probably a new life goal and personal mission as well.

To our Class of 2014 graduates, I congratulate all of you and wish you well in your new professional and personal endeavours. Most of all, I hope you will always stay actively connected with the Office of Alumni Relations or your Faculty, Department and Hall of Residence.

This issue of The AlumNUS features neither a particular Faculty nor Department, but alumni who are actively involved in arts management. We speak to alumni from varied faculties who manage private art galleries; are curators of museums; run drama, dance and arts organisations; are involved in schools of the arts; or are entertainers or arts impresarios. As Singapore becomes increasingly a lively city of the arts, these alumni have demonstrated their creativity, talent and flair. We salute all of them!

I would like to end by saying that as alumni, we are proud that NUS has been recently ranked the number one university in Asia in the Quacquarelli Symonds University Rankings: Asia 2014.

The

ALUM

NUS ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE J U L– S E P 2 0 1 4 / I S S U E 9 8

MAKINGthe

ts ArWORK

THE BOLD STROKES NUS ALUMNI ARE CREATING FOR A CITY OF THE ARTS

Copyright 2014 by the National University of Singapore.

All rights reserved. Printed in Singapore by KHL Printing Co Pte Ltd.

CONTACT US Office of Alumni Relations – National University of Singapore 11 Kent Ridge Drive, Singapore 119244 Tel: (65) 6516-5775 Fax: (65) 6777-2065 Email: oarconnect@nus.edu.sg Website: www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet Facebook: www.facebook.com/nusoar

COVER CONCEPT: Samuel Ng PHOTO: Shutterstock

ASSOC PROF VICTOR R SAVAGE DIRECTOR, NUS OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS Arts and Social Sciences ’72 JUL–SEP 2014

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“It has been an honour and a pleasure to direct the Body and Disease course, to work with my outstanding Singaporean colleagues, and to participate in the growth and development of the wonderful young people who will add so much to Singapore medicine over the years.”

IN THE NEWS

NUS UNIVERSITY AWARDS 2014

N

EMERITUS PROFESSOR

Celebrating the University's collective spirit and individual excellence. honoured at the NUS University Awards 2014 on 9 May at the University Cultural Centre.

NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan said in his speech that the University Awards is an occasion to celebrate individual excellence as well as the collective NUS spirit. In his words “[Their] passion, boldness and achievements inspire us to reach even higher, propelling NUS to the next level of excellence. In doing so, we can help shape the future through thought-leadership and transformative global education and research.”

“I am grateful to have the opportunity to work at the intersection of engineering, medicine and biology, developing innovative biomedical technologies and taking them from bench to bedside and market.”

PROF DOYLE G GRAHAM The Outstanding Educator Award recognises faculty members who have excelled in engaging and inspiring students in their discovery of knowledge.

The Outstanding Researcher Award recognises established researchers whose works have consistently achieved research excellence over a period of time and achieved significant breakthroughs or outstanding accomplishments.

The Young Researcher Award recognises researchers below 40 years of age whose research works have made impact and shown promise.

The Outstanding Service Award recognises individuals who have distinguished themselves through sustained meritorious contributions in serving the University and society.

The title of Emeritus Professor is conferred in recognition of individuals with distinguished scholarship and outstanding service to the University.

“[People] forget to ask about what you learn from the students. And the answer is: a lot. It's not just the isolated new insight. It can be new information, new ways of considering an issue…And they can energise the teaching in numerous intangible ways. Teaching is a dynamic, not a one-way process.”

PROF LIM CHWEE TECK Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Mechanobiology Institute, Singapore

School of Computing

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PROF P GOPALAKRISHNAKONE Department of Anatomy Yong Yoo Lin School of Medicine

“The opportunity to be a part of and contribute in a small way to the pursuit of excellence in patientoriented research in Singapore has been an extraordinary and most valuable experience for me.”

“Water resources and coastal engineering had a place in the early infrastructural planning and development of the island nation of Singapore, and it will perhaps have an even more important place in the future.”

EMERITUS PROFESSOR

OUTSTANDING RESEARCHER AWARD

“Research is the art of pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

Sometimes you succeed.

Sometimes you fail. And sometimes you have to just keep trying.

As Douglas Adams said,‘The knack [to flying] lies in YOUNG RESEARCHER AWARD learning how to throw yourself at the ground DR SETH GILBERT and miss’.”

Department of Computer Science

EMERITUS PROFESSOR

Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore

ABOUT THE AWARDS

OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR AWARD DR SUSAN ANG WAN-LING Department of English Language and Literature Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

EMERITUS PROFESSOR

PROF AUGUSTUS JOHN RUSH

PROF CHEONG HIN FATT

Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty of Engineering

“To continue being helpful and relevant to others wherever possible.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NUS OFFICE OF CORPORATE RELATIONS

INE EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATORS, RESEARCHERS AND LEADING PROFESSIONALS were

“Medical training continues to evolve with technology. As our future physicians need to keep up with developments in their field, formulating a curriculum that incorporates state-ofthe-art research and educational technologies remains a priority.”

OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD PROF S JAYAKUMAR Chairman, Advisory Council, NUS Faculty of Law Chairman, International Advisory Board, NUS Centre for International Law Co-Chair, International Advisory Panel on Transboundary Pollution Panel of Conciliators, International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes Consultant, Drew & Napier LLC

“My highest priority initially will be understanding what US leaders in science, technology and clinical care believe are the most important issues to be addressed and aligning an agenda consistent with those needs.

In addition, I’m very interested in continuing to grow the Institute of Medicine's relationships with global partners, and helping to define the optimal use and applications of the unprecedented proliferation of new technology tools that characterise this era of ‘Big Data’.”

OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD PROF VICTOR J DZAU Member, Governing Board, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore Member, Board of Directors, Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) Chancellor for Health Affairs, Duke University President and Chief Executive Officer, Duke University Health System James B Duke Professor of Medicine, Duke University

JUL–SEP 2014

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IN THE NEWS

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GULF INTELLIGENCE

NUS – ASIA’S TOP UNIVERSITY It is also placed as Asia's top three across all disciplines.

PROFESSOR TAN CHORH CHUAN NUS PRESIDENT

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with institutions around the world, and spearhead education innovations that will contribute to Singapore, Asia and beyond.”

QS Head of Research Mr Ben Sowter noted that although Singapore and Hong Kong enjoy some natural competitive advantages and have long dominated the top few places in this table, “NUS taking the top spot this year has also been the product of its undeniable evolution to world-class status, with cutting-edge education and research augmented by pragmatic and consistent leadership, strong institutional branding and exceptional financial management. NUS has not only taken the top spot this year but equipped itself with the tools it is likely to need to stay there.”

The QS University Rankings: Asia is published annually and ranks Asia’s Top 300 universities based on relevant criteria including academic reputation, employer reputation, student/faculty ratio, papers per faculty, citations per paper, internationalisation, student exchange inbound and student exchange outbound. Since the rankings were first compiled in 2009, NUS has made rapid progress up its charts, from an original 10th place to second in 2013 and finally, an unprecedented first this year.

PROFESSOR TAN CHORH CHUAN NUS PRESIDENT

NUS President Receives Lifetime International Energy Award Honoured for his exceptional impact on energy industry.

ILLUSTRATION ISTOCK

“We are pleased and honoured to be recognised as Asia’s top university. This is a strong affirmation of our distinctive education and excellent research, and a testament to the highquality work of our talented team of faculty, staff and students.”

NUS HAS EMERGED AS NUMBER ONE university in Asia, according to the latest 2014 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) University Rankings: Asia. Released on 13 May 2014, the rankings also placed NUS within Asia’s top three universities across all disciplines measured, retaining its place as Asia’s best in Social Sciences and Management, second in the areas of Arts and Humanities, Engineering and Technology, and Life Sciences and Medicine. The University has also improved its ranking for Natural Sciences, from last year’s fourth position to this year’s third.

Besides education and research, NUS continues to be rated highly across most of the indicators, including retaining its position as the first in Asia for employer reputation and second in Asia for academic reputation.

NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan said,“We are pleased and honoured to be recognised as Asia’s top university. This is a strong affirmation of our distinctive education and excellent research, and a testament to the high-quality work of our talented team of faculty, staff and students. As a global university in Asia, we will continue to forge close collaborations

“We hope very much that NUS and Singapore can continue to contribute significantly to education, thought leadership and research in energy, oil and gas, including a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to sustainability and development.”

PROFESSOR TAN CHORH CHUAN has become the first Singaporean to receive the Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah International Energy Award for lifetime achievement in the advancement of educating future energy There are five award leaders. The award categories, which are conferred by His for the advancement of: was Excellency Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Qatar President of the Qatar International energy Administrative Control journalism and Transparency Authority, on 8 April The Organization of 2014 at the Museum Petroleum Exporting of Islamic Art in Doha, Countries (OPEC) Qatar. More than 150 CEOs, luminaries of Future energy leaders industry, Qatari society, Producer-consumer former Heads of State, dialogue and Ministers attended

the event and gala dinner.

Prof Tan said, “It is a great honour to receive this prestigious award. This award is high recognition of the efforts and accomplishments of many distinguished colleagues and energy experts at NUS who are committed to addressing the pressing energy issues facing countries and populations today.”

Established in 2013, the award was conceived to celebrate the legacy of HE Al-Attiyah by recognising individuals for their lifetime achievement in advancing fields of work and policy that emulate His Excellency’s 40 years of distinguished contribution to the global energy industry. According to The Abdullah Bin Hamad AlAttiyah International Energy Awards Foundation, award winners are recognised for outstanding records

of accomplishment in their sector over the whole of a career. They are individuals who have made an exceptional impact on the energy industry with distinct personal achievements for a consistent and prolonged period of engagement.

Chairman of the Foundation, HE Al-Attiyah, noted in a letter to Prof Tan, “As president of (the National University of Singapore), you have created an academic institution that is making large strides in energy research and development.

As global demand for oil and gas continues to increase, the world will look to the future energy leaders from your academic institution to help solve the grand challenges of the energy sector.”

NUS has more than 150 experts working on energy-related research and education. The University also offers 15 energy-related academic programmes in areas such as Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Studies and Environment Management.

In 2011, a dedicated NUS Energy Office was set up to integrate scientists and expertise from all NUS disciplines to provide holistic, comprehensive and innovative solutions in energy Research and Development.

JUL–SEP 2014

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IN THE NEWS

Singapore Researchers Discover How DHA Reaches the Brain Findings can help to incorporate DHA into food.

Omega-3 fatty acid DHA transporter protein Mfsd2a shown here as red fluorescence along mouse brain capillaries.

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The mechanics of how the brain absorbs DHA has remained a mystery, even though the fatty acid is postulated to benefit the brain. Senior author of the research, Associate Professor David L Silver from Duke-NUS, explained the importance of unlocking this mystery, he said,“If we could show the link by determining how DHA gets DAVID L SILVER into the brain, then we ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF DUKE-NUS could use this information to more effectiveand learning deficits and high levels ly target its absorption and formulate of anxiety. The team recognised that an improved nutritional agent.” the learning, memory and behavioural In the study, led by post-doctoral function of these mice were reminiscent fellow Long N Nguyen of Duke-NUS, of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency in mice researchers found that mice without starved of DHA in their diet. the Mfsd2a transporter had brains Subsequently, using biochemical a third smaller than those with the approaches, the team discovered that transporter, and exhibited memory mice without Mfsd2a were deficient in DHA and made the surprising discovery that Mfds2a transports DHA in the chemical form of lysophosphatidlycholine (LPC). LPCs are phospholipids mainly produced by the liver that circulate in human blood at high levels.

This is an especially significant finding as LPCs have been considered toxic to cells and their role in the body remains poorly understood. Based on this new information, Dr Silver’s team showed that Mfsd2a is the major pathway for the uptake of DHA carried in the chemical form of LPCs by the growing fetal brain and by the adult brain.

The findings, published online in Nature – an international weekly science journal – on 14 May 2014, mark the first time a genetic model for brain DHA deficiency and its functions in the brain have been made available.

“Our findings can help guide the development of technologies to more effectively incorporate DHA into food and exploit this pathway to maximise the potential for improved nutritionals to improve brain growth and function.

This is especially important for pre-term babies who would not have received sufficient DHA during fetal development,” said Dr Silver from the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Program at Duke-NUS.

“If we could show the link by determining how DHA gets into the brain, then we could use this information to more effectively target its absorption and formulate an improved nutritional agent.”

THREE NUS EYE EXPERTS AMONG TOP 100 OF OPHTHALMOLOGY They are lauded as among the most influential.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SINGAPORE NATIONAL EYE CENTRE

PHOTO CREDIT : LONG N. NGUYEN

DHA (DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID), an omega-3 fatty acid, is widely believed to be good for the brain, but how it is absorbed by the brain has been a mystery – until now. Researchers from the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore (Duke-NUS) and the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSoM) have conducted a new study identifying that the transporter protein Mfsd2a carries DHA to the brain.

These findings have widespread implications for how DHA functions in human nutrition. DHA is an essential dietary nutrient which can be obtained from seafood and marine oils and is commonly used in baby formulas.

Found most abundantly in the brain, DHA is thought to be crucial to its function, though the brain itself does not produce DHA. Instead, DHA uptake in the brain happens in two ways. The developing brain receives DHA during fetal development, from a mother to her baby. The adult brain gets it through food or DHA produced by the liver.

THREE NUS EYE EXPERTS have made it to the list of the top 100 most influential people in ophthalmology in a British professional journal, The Ophthalmologist. Two of them, Professor Aung Tin (Medicine ’90) and Professor Donald Tan Tiang Hwee (Medicine ’83) are from the NUS Department of Ophthalmology, while the third, Professor Saw Seang Mei (Medicine ’88) is from the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH).

Prof Tan, who is also Medical Director of the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) and Chair of the Ophthalmology Academic Clinical Program, jointly launched by the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore and SingHealth, was third on the list, where only the top 20 were ranked. He was Chairman of the Singapore Eye Research Institute

(SERI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNEC, up till last year.

Some of Prof Tan’s contributions included new forms of selective lamellar keratoplasty, femtosecond corneal and refractive surgery, the Osteo-Odonto Keratoprosthesis and surgical devices for lamellar corneal transplantation.

The founder of the Asia Cornea Society also holds 12 patents ranging from stem

cell culture technology to novel inserters for Descemet’s Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty surgery.

Also on the same list is clinicianscientist Prof Aung, Executive Director of SERI, who heads the Glaucoma Research Group at the Institute. With research interests including angle closure glaucoma and the molecular genetics of eye diseases, Prof Aung is also active in clinical research, having conducted studies on therapeutics, imaging, screening, clinical course and surgical outcomes of glaucoma.

Prof Saw, who holds joint appointments at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Duke-NUS, in addition to her appointment at SSHSPH, is one of 13 women on the list. She is the principal investigator of several important epidemiologic studies, which include elucidating genes and environmental factors involved in myopia and pathologic myopia.

Another Singapore-based ophthalmologist, NUS Professor Wong Tien Yin (Medicine ’92), was also highlighted within the same issue of The Ophthalmologist, as the most prolific author on the topic of Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) from 2009 to 2013, with 21 articles.

The Power List 2014, so-named by the journal, is a list consisting of representatives from 21 countries spanning Asia, Africa, North and South America, Europe and Australia.

A jury of five renowned ophthalmologists from five countries and three continents selected their top 100 from readers’ nominations and ranked them from 1 through 100. Average scores of the jury’s rankings then decided the final list.

From left to right: Prof Donald Tan, Prof Aung Tin, Prof Saw Seang Mei

JUL–SEP 2014

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NUS Alumni-Great Eastern Life

IN THE NEWS

BREAKFAST DIALOGUE KWEK LENG JOO

DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF CITY DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED (CDL)

3 October 2014 (Friday) | 7.30am M Hotel Ballroom Students - S$10 | Alumni - S$20

CONNECTING ALUMNI ART ENTHUSIASTS WITH ENRICHING THE LIVES OF ALUMNI and connecting them back to their alma mater as two of its key objectives, the NUS Office of Alumni Relations (OAR) has launched another new initiative this year.

Titled ‘NUS Alumni Lifestyle Workshop’, each workshop in this series is aimed at a particular group of alumni with specific interests.

The inaugural workshop features OAR’s first collaboration with renowned auction house, Christie’s. Held on 4 May 2014 at the Shangri-La hotel, Singapore, alumni art enthusiasts were treated to an

exclusive art exhibition tour of impressive Asian works of art, followed by a talk titled ’Generations of Southeast Asian Art’ by alumnus and specialist in Asian 20th Century and Contemporary Art, Southeast Asia Region, Mr Wang Zineng (Arts ’07).

More than 70 alumni attended the workshop, along with distinguished guests which included NUS Professor Wang Gungwu (Arts ’52) and his wife; the Cultural Counsellor of the China Embassy, Mr Xiao Jianghua; as well as the Dean of NUS School of Design and Environment, Professor Heng Chye Kiang.

“My wife and I enjoyed the event which provided us with a very good insight into contemporary Southeast Asian art. This is the first alumni event that I attended after graduating, and it has given me a very good impression of the NUS Office of Alumni Relations.”

MR LIM YEOW SAN

(SCIENCE ’82)

PROGRAMME 7.30am Breakfast & Networking 8.30am Sharing by Mr Kwek Leng Joo Q&A Session 9.45am End

SUCCESS – IS IT ALL ABOUT MONEY? Success in life is not measured by wealth or status. The real achievement is when a man extends his compassion to embrace nature and humanity.

In this talk, Mr Kwek Leng Joo will share his journey as a leader in Singapore’s real estate industry, setting benchmarks for best practices since mid-1990s. He believes that responsible business practices deliver both good financial bottom line and strong social and environmental performance that will help lay the foundation of long term sustainability. CDL is the first Singapore Company listed on the world’s top three sustainability benchmarks – FTSE4Good Index Series, Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World and Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes.

About the Speaker Mr Kwek Leng Joo has been serving the business and civic communities for over three decades with his strong advocacy for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), youth development and the arts.

Apart from his many business appointments, he is the President of Singapore Compact for CSR, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of National Youth Achievement Award Council, a member of the Trustee of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation, the Board of Trustees of Nanyang Technological University, Advisory Committee of National University of Singapore’s Master of Science Programme and the Advisory Group, Master of Tri-Sector Collaboration, Singapore Management University, just to name a few.

Despite his heavy work commitments, he always makes time to serve the country and the community. An avid photographer and a philanthropist, Mr Kwek has raised some $2 million through sales of his photo works and art books for various charitable and environmental causes. In recognition of his contributions via his various business and civic appointments, Mr Kwek was bestowed the Public Service Medal in 2000, the Public Service Star in 2005, and was also appointed a Justice of the Peace by the President of the Republic of Singapore in 2013. is the oldest and most established life insurance group in Singapore and Malaysia, with operations also in Indonesia, Vietnam and Brunei, as well as a joint-venture in China and a representative office in Myanmar. Named Life Insurance Company of the Year by Asia Insurance Review in 2011 and 2013, it has been rated “AA-” by Standard and Poor’s since 2010, one of the highest among Asian life insurance companies.

Organised by:

Register at: alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/BDoct14

For enquiries, please contact Ms Lin Shushan at 65166428 or email her at shushan@nus.edu.sg

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Sponsored by:

ARTS MANAGEMENT

MAKING THE

ARTS

THE ‘HEART’ IN THE ARTS WORLD IS THE ARTIST — THE INDIVIDUAL WHO CREATES CAPTIVATING PAINTINGS AND SCULPTURES, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THEATRE OR AWE-INSPIRING DANCE. BUT THE ‘BRAINS’ ARE THE ARTS MANAGERS AND ADMINISTRATORS WHO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR ARTISTS TO SHARE THEIR CREATIONS WITH THE WORLD. THE ALUMNUS TALKS TO SOME ALUMNI WHO PLAY THIS CRUCIAL AND WIDE-SPANNING ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARTS IN SINGAPORE. BY THERESA TAN

WORK

PHOTO SHUTTERSTOCK

HEN MR GANESH KALYANAM

(Arts and Social Sciences ’89) was in secondary school, he was selected to play the part of Mark Antony in a production of Julius Caesar. The cast rehearsed for three months, but on performance day, there were all of 15 people in the audience.

“While a lot of effort was put into the play’s artistic development, little had been done to market it,” he recalls, emphasising that for any production to be successful, the artistic, production and marketing aspects all need to come together to produce a great show.

“My mentor (and founder of LASALLE College of the Arts) the late Brother Joseph McNally once told me that I had a gift that few had – the ability to speak to not just actors and technical people but sponsors as well, and I could help bridge the chasm between these groups.

Thus started my vocation to bring different people together to make the arts in Singapore come alive.”

Mr Ganesh, now the Director of The Republic Cultural Centre (TRCC), the arts centre of Republic Polytechnic, is one of a number of passionate individuals who has carved a career as an arts manager in Singapore. He says that more can be done to recognise the part that arts managers and administrators have played in the process of maturing the country’s arts scene. “For the arts to blossom, there needs to be a group of passionate arts managers who can create conducive environments for artists to thrive, collaborate and experiment.”

What is visible to the public’s eye is the artist’s work, be it a painting, a dance or a drama production. What is not visible is the planning, financing, negotiation and troubleshooting that goes on behind the scenes, way before that piece of art makes it out into the open.

WHAT IS ARTS MANAGEMENT?

The arts management industry is still relatively new in Singapore even though the work involved is not.

Simply defining ‘arts management’ for the purpose of this article proved a challenging task.

Former civil servant and someone who is regarded in certain circles as the ‘original arts manager’, Ms Juliana Lim (Arts and Social Sciences ’72) has a blog* chronicling the development of the arts in the 1980s and ’90s.

Ms Lim defines the arts manager’s role as such: “Whether we are managing or supporting artists, or staging and marketing productions and exhibitions, ultimately, the arts manager’s role is to connect artists to audiences and to infect them with a love and appreciation for the arts.” Ms Lim spent more than 20 years in the civil service as an administrative officer in this role.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) has been a microcosm of the larger development in the arts in Singapore since the Centre for Musical Activities – now the NUS Centre For the Arts (CFA) – was set up in 1993. Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo (Arts and Social Sciences ’56) , the CFA’s

* Singapore Arts Manager, 1980s/90s – Memories & Musings https://julianalim.wordpress.com

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ARTS MANAGEMENT

“A GOOD ARTS MANAGER NEEDS TO HAVE A STRONG HEAD FOR NUMBERS, THE ABILITY TO WRITE AND BE ABLE TO KEEP ABREAST OF INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS.” MR RAVI SIVALINGAM (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’93)

founding Director, recalls how the University supported and managed arts groups on campus, providing infrastructure and management capabilities to artists. “Professor Lim Pin, our then Vice-Chancellor, believed that an interest in the arts formed an important part of university life. With his help, we converted Lecture Theatre 13 into a theatre, and later, funded a wellequipped pottery studio.

“Various student groups existed at the time. It was Associate Professor Victor R Savage and Professor Tong Chee Keong, the Sub-Dean – when they were with the Faculty of Arts Deanery – who did a great deal to develop the arts on campus,” Prof Thumboo says.

“As Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) and as the founding Director of the CFA, I provided the venues, sourced for financial support and made initial contact with [donors and sponsors] such as the Lee and Shaw Foundations. Both Assoc Prof Savage 12

ALUMNUS

Social Sciences ’90) who was also the former Artistic Co-director of the Substation and currently the Programme Leader for the Masters Programme in Arts and Cultural Management at LASALLE. “[They work] behind the scenes in this area of work in the arts – whether in a freelance capacity, in arts groups, in arts advocacy groups or in the government sectors. Like the artists, they all play crucial roles in making the arts thrive and grow in Singapore,” says Ms Lim, who is the former General Manager of TheatreWorks and one of the founding members for three arts organisations: Centre 42 Ltd, SCAB Ltd (Singapore Contemporary Art Bureau) and SDEA (Singapore Drama Educators Association).

areas of staging, lighting, sound and visual media, and programming.”

UNIQUE BUSINESS

Director for CFA Ms Christine Khor, (Arts and Social Sciences ’72) offers an even broader definition: “Arts management is about applying the best practices from current management thinking to managing the arts, but recognising that the arts are a unique business altogether,” she says. “Arts management covers a wide range of activities across visual, performing and literary arts from artist development and management, programming and production, education and outreach, marketing and publicity, fundraising and facilities management. Each is a specialised area needing different expertise.”

Mr Alvin Tan (Arts and Social Sciences ’89), the Founder and Artistic Director of The Necessary Stage sums up the role with particular reference to his own organisation: “Basically, arts administration not only involves ensuring the sustainability of the theatre company, but more crucially, its role is to help the company achieve its vision and mission over time.” Mr Tan sees arts management as a subset of arts administration.

“Arts administration is to not only see to the sustainability of the theatre company, but more primarily, it is to help the company achieve its vision and mission over time.

Arts management is part of this, encompassing manpower management; fund-raising; seeing to grant applications; the publicity and marketing of productions; profit and loss; productions and projects; and public relations as well as matters pertaining to the venue: hire, maintenance, sinking fund, wear-and-tear, etc.”

According to Ms Michele Lim (Law ’88), a freelance arts management consultant, producer and trainer, many NUS alumni are involved in arts management, although they may not necessarily be directly involved. As an example, Ms Lim cites ex-Nominated Member of Parliament for the Arts, Ms Audrey Wong (Arts and

WHO FITS THE BILL?

PHOTOS OF RAVI SIVALINGAM AND JULIANA LIM: WILSON PANG

and Prof Tong had their own contacts. I gave them a free hand and offered suggestions, but left it to them to do the real work. To sum up, arts management is underpinned by opportunities for talent to develop, increase audience participation, and provide financial and infrastructural support the wherewithal.”

Ms Karen Loh (Arts and Social Sciences ’95), the General Manager of the recently-founded Centre 42, a nonprofit organisation committed to the documentation, promotion and creation of text and writings for the Singapore stage, defines arts management as “the art of enabling the artist to realise his ideas, at the most immediate level.

Beyond that, arts management is also about the sustained development of the industry against the backdrop of the bigger reality we live in. The arts manager is concerned about managing processes and people.”

Arts management may also include the running and overseeing of a physical space. Mr Ravi Sivalingam (Arts and Social Sciences ’93) is the Head of Hospitality and Services for the Esplanade. The management of this iconic venue involves two areas. “[It is] Managing the facility that is the Esplanade, a multistage performing arts facility; and programming the activities and presentations to fulfill the Esplanade’s vision and mission,” he says.

Mr Ravi points out that the skills set an arts manager would need to have in order to manage a space such as the Esplanade are akin to those required for any other business: “[These would include] business development, marketing and communications [skills] but also technical production in the

Mr Ravi Sivalingam, Head of Hospitality and Services, Esplanade

As wide-spanning as these definitions are, the general agreement is that a unique set of skills is required of a good arts manager. Mr Ravi breaks these down to three core skills: a strong head for numbers (“otherwise how would you strategise and execute your business plan?”), the ability to write (“communicating to your stakeholders is key”) and keeping abreast of all the developments in the industry (“you need to know what others are doing, what new initiatives are out there, advances in technology… it’s a neverending process.”)

According to Ms Khor, an essential part of being a good arts manager is the ability to ensure that the audience receives the aesthetic, oft-intangible value of watching a production. This, in her view, is the greatest difference between someone who manages the arts and someone who manages, for example, a business. “The value of the arts output and its quality (ie, how we assess good or bad art) are often subjective as much of the work is intangible and unquantifiable. Beyond paying a sum for a canvas with a drawing on it, the colours, composition and theme of the work evoke the imagination and the senses and demand a response.”

“Similarly when we buy a ticket [for a concert], we are not just paying for the number of dancers, the music,

the ambience and air-conditioning, but for the impact the production has on our emotions and our sense of aesthetics,” she says.

IN THE BEGINNING

The early development of the arts scene in Singapore involved a concerted effort by the government.

Since the then-Minister of Culture Mr Ong Teng Cheong’s paper of 1978 detailing the roadmap leading to the vision of Singapore as a Renaissance City, the plan has undergone several upgrades as key performance indicators were met. As with any other government initiative, civil servants were tasked with making things happen.

There were a number of government bodies involved at the start including the thenMinistry of Culture which shaped the arts through initiatives, and the Singapore Cultural Foundation, which was the fundraising arm. Following the 1989 report from the Advisory Council on Culture and the Arts, the National Arts Council (NAC) was formed and the building of the Esplanade began. Professor Tommy Koh (Law ’61) was made the founding Chairman of the NAC, which amalgamated the Singapore Cultural Foundation, the Cultural Division of the then Ministry of Community Development, the Festival of Arts Secretariat and the National Theatre Trust. The NAC has played a pivotal role in enabling the arts sector in many ways, including funding, scholarships and grants, providing arts housing and renovating arts venues.

Ms Juliana Lim had been the Manager of the People’s Association Cultural Troupe for four years when she joined the Arts/Cultural Affairs Division in the then-Ministry of Culture and Community Development (MCD) in 1981. She served as Secretary at the Singapore Cultural Foundation from 1981

to 1990 during which she helped to draft the structure for the NAC which was set up in 1991. Although Ms Lim did not work for NAC, her groundwork throughout the 1980s led to initiatives that were eventually taken over by NAC. It was during her years at the Singapore Cultural Foundation that many opportunities were created for local artists to gain support – financial, logistic and creative – and recognition. “Synergising [the Foundation’s] funding policy with the Ministry’s Cultural Affairs Division, we introduced a system of four (quarterly) funding cycles a year to deal with requests and proactively sought out areas and projects to support rather than wait or merely react,” she explains. “We devised a series of grant schemes

“WHETHER WE ARE MANAGING ARTISTS OR STAGING PRODUCTIONS, ULTIMATELY THE ARTS MANAGER’S ROLE IS TO CONNECT ARTISTS WITH AUDIENCES AND INFECT THEM WITH A LOVE FOR THE ARTS” MS JULIANA LIM (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’72)

Ms Juliana Lim

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ARTS MANAGEMENT in an effort to give the work some shape, introduced scholarship awards, including one for disabled artists; and extended seed grants to new arts initiatives like the National Library’s Arts Resource Centre (now the Performing Arts Library at The Esplanade) and Singapore International Jazz Festival.”

Ms Lim pushed for funding for special arts groups during her time.

Separate accounts were created for entities such as the Singapore Dance Theatre and the Singapore Festival of Arts, and a ‘Scholarships for Disabled Artists’ account was set up for Hi! Theatre (a theatre group for the

hearing-impaired). Some of these still exist today. One of Ms Lim’s ‘babies’ was the Arts Housing Scheme, a forward-thinking initiative that provides facilities at heavilysubsidised rates to arts groups to work and rehearse out of. It also had the added benefit of preserving some iconic buildings such as the former St Joseph’s Institution and the Tao Nan School. The programme created a positive environment for various arts groups and museums to flourish for decades.

At present, more than 90 arts organisations and artists (64 arts organisations and 30 artists) are

“ARTS MANAGEMENT COVERS A BROAD RANGE OF FUNCTIONS FROM STRATEGIC MARKETING TO MANAGING DAILY OPERATIONS.” MS CHONG SIAK CHING (DESIGN AND ENVIRONMENT ’81)

Ms Chong Siak Ching, CEO, National Art Gallery

housed in 38 properties islandwide, with three ‘arts belts’ in existence: Waterloo Street, Little India and Chinatown. The arts have given new life to these disused buildings and revitalised the areas surrounding them.

Although her title was not officially ‘arts manager’, Ms Lim was in a unique position of being able to shape how the collective body of the arts was funded, supported and developed. “I was an administrative officer who loved the arts and chose to work in it when nobody else would. I learnt on the job: read a lot, listened a lot, and even learnt enough to be able to buy my own art collection,” she says. The only training she received was when she was sent to West Berlin in 1985 to attend a course on Cultural Administration by the Goethe-Institut. “There were no arts administration courses [in Singapore] until 1985 when I organised the first-ever Arts Administration seminar,” she recalls. “We flew in teachers from Columbia University’s Teachers College which offers an arts administration course. It’s great that the art colleges and polytechnics are now offering these courses as it feeds the arts sector.”

The arts in Singapore have come a long way since the 1980s and 1990s.

Today there are more arts groups than ever before and the industry has grown more sophisticated, as has its audience. NAC and the National Heritage Board have successfully orchestrated growth in the industry.

The visual arts has experienced rapid development in the last two decades and the infrastructure reflects this. In 1996, the former St Joseph’s Institution building was transformed into the Singapore Art Museum. The Asian Civilisations Museum, first established in 1997 at the premises of the former Tao Nan School at Armenian Street, relocated in 2003 to Empress Place.

The National Museum was given a major remodelling and reopened in 2006. Festivals and exhibitions are now de rigueur: the Singapore Biennale, the Affordable Art Fair, the Guggenheim UBS show are but a few.

Adding to the growing vibrancy are 14

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PHOTOS OF CHONG SIAK CHING AND TAN BOON HUI COURTESEY OF NHB

FLEXIBLE APPROACHES

private museums such as the Art Science Museum and the upcoming Pinacotheque at Fort Canning.

Given this “hot trend”, it seems that Singapore cannot open museums fast enough. The latest jewel in the crown will be the National Art Gallery which opens in 2015. Housed in the former City Hall building, it occupies 64,000 sqm of space, making the Gallery the largest visual arts institution in Singapore.

The CEO of the National Art Gallery is Ms Chong Siak Ching (Design and Environment ’81), (NUS Board of Trustees member), (recipient of the 2009 NUS Distinguished Alumni Service Award), who also heads the ‘visual arts cluster’ in Singapore which besides the Gallery comprises the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and the Singapore Tyler Print Institute.

She offers a broad perspective of the Gallery’s position in a museumcrowded Singapore. “The National Gallery will contribute to the overall attraction of Singapore as a global city,” she explains.

“Most importantly, we hope that our presence will help to enrich and deepen the quality of life for Singaporeans while drawing tourists with quality art from Singapore, the region and beyond.

“Arts management [of these museums] covers a very broad range of functions and activities from strategic marketing, programme development, curatorial research, financial management, fundraising to facilitating the day-to-day operations of the Gallery.”

The management of each museum differs in content. Each museum has its own unique personality and audience. “SAM and the National Gallery are the two key pillars of our visual arts sector,” Ms Chong explains. “Both museums will showcase local as well as Southeast and Asian art.

The National Gallery will focus on modern art from the 19th century to the present, and will showcase the works of established artists in Singapore and the region. SAM will be the champion for contemporary art, and will help to develop and nurture our emerging artists.”

On a broader level, Ms Chong feels that arts administrators

MAKING IT HAPPEN MR TAN BOON HUI

(ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’93) GROUP DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMES, NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD (NHB) Mr Tan can be credited for turning the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) into a leading centre for Southeast Asian and Asian art, during his tenure as Director from 2009 to 2013. Today he is Group Director (Programmes) of NHB and artistic director for the Singapore In France Festival 2015 HOW DO YOU DEFINE ‘ARTS MANAGEMENT’?

WHAT IS THE ARTS MANAGER’S ROLE? Arts management is a balancing act.

With art and culture, one must dare to take risks, or there will not be artistic excellence. Yet the management side of it is knowing which side of the razor’s edge you are on, and how to ensure a steady stream of funding as well as building a broad support base. An arts manager is, to put it baldly, the mamasan of the artists!

DID YOU RECEIVE ANY TRAINING IN ARTS MANAGEMENT? I actually did my Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Geography, but have always been in the arts field. My first job was as an editor, and then I was with the National Arts Council. Before my stint at SAM, I was a curator at the ACM (Asian Civilisations Museum) and Deputy Director of Programmes at the National Museum. At the National Museum, I was involved in large-scale events such as the museum’s opening festival in 2006, and the first Children’s Season and Night Festival in 2008. I got my experience in arts management on-the-job. It helped that I was also with a theatre group, so I had the benefit of having both points-of-view.

DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT ROLE AT NHB. I oversee the Programmes cluster. This comprises NHB’s six museums and heritage institutions, other community institutions like Our Museum@Taman Jurong; and three support divisions – Philanthropy, Business Development, and Marketing and Corporate Communications. As Group Director, I look at strategy, and work with my team of Directors. Our goal is to present the best of culture to Singaporeans, through well-curated exhibitions, and partnering the community to encourage greater ownership in heritage. A lot of my energy

is spent looking at ways to work across our divisions and new ways of thinking out of the box.

YOU ARE CREDITED WITH MAKING SAM THE FORCE IT IS TODAY. HOW MUCH OF THIS CAN BE CREDITED TO GOOD ARTS MANAGEMENT? One main initiative my team focussed on was to build a definitive contemporary Southeast Asian collection. To this end, I appointed the curators by country focus, so we had a curator looking at each regional art scene. I gave each curator a field research budget and insisted that they spend time out in the field each year.

Through this approach, we developed a strong basis to acquire a substantial collection. Exhibitions-wise, I refocussed the programme around regional art and concentrated on audience development initiatives.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR OUR MUSEUMS? Already, museums have so many competitors for attention in our society: malls, cinemas, arts venues, parks, the Internet. Their greatest challenge is to remain relevant and accessible to visitors, while maintaining their own goals and discourse on history or art. But I am confident museums here will rise to the occasion, since we have the backing of the government, corporations and individuals; as well as a populace which is becoming increasingly excited about our heritage. In the future, museums will not only be a place to engage and educate visitors in Singapore’s heritage. They will also be a space for different groups to connect with one another because of this shared heritage; to find, and to celebrate, our similarities and differences.

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“HAVING [THE STUDENT ARTS GROUPS] UNDER THE SAME ROOF PROMOTES INTERACTION, COLLABORATIONS AND SYNERGY.” MR GANESH KALYANAM (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’89)

Mr Ganesh Kalyanam, Director TRCC, Republic Polytechnic

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handle all administrative aspects of the production, including budgeting, publicity and marketing, contracts, applications for relevant grants, sourcing for sponsorship, insurance matters, venue hire liaisons and more,” says Ms Lim. “The General Manager oversees the running of the entire company, deals with the larger company-wide grants (such as those from NAC), liaises with other bodies such as the Media Development Authority, estate management, overall budgeting of the company and strategic planning to ensure the company’s projects are in line with our overall vision, etc. The General Manager works under the Artistic Director and Resident Playwright.”

Artistic creation and arts management are inseparable, and both are essential in the building up of the arts in Singapore. “Arts management definitely contributes to the role of Singapore as a cultural hub,” Ms Lim says. “A cultural hub is not one that solely relies on creation of work. So what if a work is created, if there’s no one to market it, ensure an audience for it, get sponsorship for it, have the state’s funding behind it? Arts management ensures the sustainability and longevity of artists and arts companies.”

Mr Chong Tze Chien (Arts and Social Sciences ’99), Company Director of The Finger Players (TFP) – a theatre company that combines professional puppetry with other artistic disciplines to create works that have played around the world – describes the role of the two arts managers in his company, a General Manager and a Production Manager, as thus: “The arts manager has to manage and juggle the different demands of the different artists, coordinating the many different and overlapping projects helmed by the different artists at any given time. The administrative job scope includes marketing of works, sourcing and allocation of funds to help the artists realise their projects. This includes hiring and coordination of manpower for these projects.”

TFP is one of the NAC’s Major Grant recipients and has grown from a two-member troupe in 1999 to a professional team of seven full-time staff – the only theatre company with a team of artists on payroll.

Each of the five artists takes on a key

role in a major project every season.

Mr Chong, as company director, has his feet planted on both sides.

“Being an artist who oversees the daily operations of the company, I am the bridge between the administration and the artists’ vision,” he says. “I function as the producer of the artists’ projects, drafting budgets and managing/ allocating the resources needed to kickstart the respective artistic processes.”

Not everyone is like the 39 yearold who enjoys being part of the whole process. “I have always been interested in the theatre-making process from conception to getting my hands dirty, doing things like painting the sets and making props. It’s all part and parcel of the creative process and I enjoy bringing a vision or idea I have in my head to fruition.”

“I AM THE BRIDGE BETWEEN THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE ARTISTS’ VISION.” MR CHONG TZE CHIEN (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’99) COMPANY DIRECTOR THE FINGER PLAYERS

CROSSDISCIPLINE

At performing arts venues like the Esplanade, CFA and TRCC, arts management takes on yet another form. Arts managers here have to combine the management of the centre with the management of the arts groups and the audience as well. The CFA’s Ms Khor calls the centre “a full-fledged arts management institution within NUS”. With 23 student arts groups to oversee, the CFA uses artist management skills and insights as to how arts extra-curricular activities prepare students for life, she says. The CFA takes an active role also in encouraging student artists. For example, it administers grants such as the Paul Abisheganaden Grant to pursue further development of their art overseas and it commissions works from these student artists and gives them a platform to showcase their work.

Every year, the CFA holds the NUS Arts Festival, a signature event sponsored by ExxonMobil, the longest-running arts outreach programme for the campus and the public. “This is the function of Arts programming and is supported by a team of professional marketeers in the arts,” explains Ms Khor.

Add to that is the NUS Museum, an institution of the CFA which

PHOTO OF GANESH KALYANAMI: WILSON PANG

should, in their respective roles, contribute to fulfilling the Gallery’s vision and mission. It is also very important for them to constantly monitor and be plugged into the development of the entire arts landscape in the region and around the world.

While Singapore’s national museums are run with a global view, theatre groups in Singapore are plentiful and diverse, each with its own perception of how the arts are, and should be, managed.

Ms Melissa Lim (Arts and Social Sciences ’99) is the General Manager of The Necessary Stage. She has five Project Managers working under her, each handling different aspects and projects in the company’s portfolio, for example, main season productions, external commissions, technical management, Theatre for Seniors and a new laboratory initiative called The Orange Project.

“The Project Manager has to

develops, conserves, interprets and displays the University’s four collections. A host of programmes surrounds the Museum including academic exhibitions and conservation programmes. There is also the University Cultural Centre, one of the venues managed by the CFA. In order to manage these activities, the CFA’s staff includes arts managers, many of whom have professional arts experience in both government agencies and in subsidised arts bodies. “The differences [between managers of different art forms] are nuanced but the principles and practice of managing them are similar.”

Over at Republic Polytechnic, TRCC is home to 24 student arts groups, providing them with a safe haven to explore and evolve their art forms, “Having them under the same roof promotes interaction, collaborations and synergy,” says Mr Ganesh.

Both the CFA and TRCC manage the arts from an intricate position that not only involves facility management and artist management but development of next-generation artists through mentorship, grants and other rich opportunities. At the Esplanade, Mr Ravi handles just one segment of arts management, the other being that of facility management. He describes his duty as creating and managing the customer experience at the Esplanade. The customer, in his case, includes patrons or the audience, artists who perform there and hirers who rent the Esplanade venues.

Mr Ravi, who holds a postgraduate diploma in Arts Management from the Western

Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 1996, also currently teaches an Arts Management course at LASALLE. The Arts Management industry has developed greatly in the last few decades, he notes, and the growth of Arts Management as a study helps to propel it forward.

ARTS MANAGERS AMONG ALUMNI

“The list of alumni from different faculties in various arts management roles is long,” says Ms Michele Lim, an independent arts management consultant, trainer and producer.

“Here are just a few of notable individuals in government and private companies.”

SHIREEN ABDULLAH (LAW ’99)

Freelance producer/arts manager

GOH SU LIN (LAW ’89)

General Manager of Inter Cultural Institute, former General Manager of The Necessary Stage and Practice Theatre

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS

LASALLE and NAFA each offers a Bachelor of Arts Programme in Arts Management, notes Ms Khor. NUS’ Theatre Studies schools its students in Arts Management as part of the course. Even the School of the Arts teaches its young students elements of Arts Management. The field, though still in relative infancy as a study, is getting more attention and participation.

Ms Melissa Lim, who considers her years working for the NAC her training ground, hopes to see better management skills in future cohorts of Arts Management graduates.

“A lot of them get carried away with working with artists, which is good because it means they are excited about their jobs,” she notes. “However, I find some basic management skills lacking; if you can’t even read a financial report and understand a profit and loss statement well enough, you can’t possibly be a good arts manager. If you can’t work proficiently on Excel, you can’t fill in grant forms.” She also feels that Arts Management needs to be viewed more as a transferable skill: “I’ve seen arts managers function well in other industries and I want to see more of that.”

Ms Khor sees a great future ahead for those who choose to

GOH CHING LEE (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’83) Former Singapore Arts Festival Director, founder of CultureLink, a specialist agency.

MARY LOH (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’86)

Senior Associate Director for Talent Development and Programming at CFA

CHUA AI LIANG (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’79)

Director for Arts & Communities at NAC

HARESH SHARMA (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’91) Playwright for The Necessary Stage.

KOK HENG LEUN (SCIENCE ‘91) Artistic Director at Drama Box, who takes on both roles of artist and arts manager in his lauded Chinese-language theatre company.

study Arts Management: “The degree of professionalism and knowledge of management, combined with great passion, will ensure that the arts are managed well.” She views this development as another essential part of the growth of the arts sector.

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MY WORD The WomenTalk TV team includes producer Frances Chong, freelance research writer Khairil Misnal and the freelance production teams we work with.

We shot a pilot in Singapore and pitched the idea to different media channels, but were turned down many times. [But ] I had to find a way to film this series no matter what – my whole life’s work and experiences were finally coming together in this show. So I basically put my entire life savings into WomenTalk TV, and there was no turning back.

The team and I spent two years building the programme and the

TALKING WOMEN

I

N SEPTEMBER 2011 , I was hosting a variety show, and a woman on that show said her husband did not want to take her out of the house because she had put on a lot of weight. But when she lost weight, he was happy to go out with her again. I could not stop thinking about what this woman had told me. How many women out there are in difficult circumstances and have no platform to share what they’re going through, or to talk about things that are important to them?

That’s how WomenTalk TV began.

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BOTTOM: With Ms Yip Pin Xiu, who was born with Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic disorder that slowly breaks down the muscles.

Ms Yip won Singapore’s first-ever Olympic gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics in the 50m backstroke.

LEFT: An Inspiration to young NUS alumni: Ms Olsen is also the recipient of the ‘NUS Outstanding Young Alumni Award’ in 2007 and former NUS Alumni Advisory Board member (2006-2009).

PHOTOS COURTESY OF EUNICE OLSEN

FORMER NOMINATED MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT AND CREATOR OF INTERNET TALK SHOW WOMENTALK TV, EUNICE OLSEN (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’01) ON WHY SHE DOES WHAT SHE DOES. BY THERESA TAN

TOP: Ms Olsen with Ms Cassandra Chiu, a mother and founder of her own counselling practice, who became visually-impaired when she was eight due to an inherited degenerative eye condition called Stargardt disease.

IT JUST MAKES SENSE TO ME THAT BECAUSE I HAVE THESE PRIVILEGES, I ALSO HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO USE THEM TO TRY AND HELP OTHERS.

WomenTalk TV is a resource portal that features interviews with women in Asia who inspire and empower others through the work they do, and the messages they communicate. It has featured women like Paralympian Ms Yip Pin Xu; Ms Doris Nuval, a political activist in the Philippines who had been the longest-held female prisoner; and ‘everyday’ women like Ms Rachel Chung, a former victim of domestic violence who now speaks out against it.

website (www.womentalktv.asia. com), and we launched in August 2013.

That November, just for fun, we submitted WomenTalk TV for the International Digital Emmy Awards, held annually in Cannes, France. I can’t even begin to describe how ecstatic we were when the show was nominated.

While in Cannes, we met other nominees from all over the world.

Some experienced filmmakers were very supportive of us even

though we were small and independent. This has inspired us to work even harder.

In 2006, I was a goodwill ambassador for international non-governmental organisation World Vision. I visited Cambodia [and was taken to] a shelter for women who had been rescued from trafficking.

Some girls, maybe about six to eight years old, gave [the other visitors and I] a manicure. Their hands were so tiny. I assumed that they were the daughters of women rescued from the sex trade, but a social worker looked me in the eye and said, ‘No Eunice, these girls were rescued as well.’ It broke my heart.

Since then, I’ve continually raised the issue of trafficking and finally, in 2011, there was an opportunity to pitch a film and co-produce it. 3.50 is a feature film that follows a fictional documentary-maker investigating the whereabouts of a young girl sold into prostitution – the title alluding to the cost, in dollars, of a sex [session] with a prostitute in Cambodia. It tells a story of the different players in the sex trade and how their lives are intertwined. The movie premiered in Singapore in May 2014.

3.50 has been screened at the National University of Singapore and Singapore Management University, as well as at the Arts House, and I have had screening requests from the United States. I plan to use it as a tool for advocacy and to start conversations on the issue of trafficking.

I’m grateful for many things.

I have amazing parents; I don’t live in a country that’s in conflict; and I have a handful of very close and supportive friends. It just makes sense to me that because I have these privileges, I also have the responsibility to use them to try and help others. As Albert Einstein said, “Those who have the privilege to know have the duty to act.”

If my life were a message, it would be “Live with courage.

Serve with humility. Eat with happiness.”

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ONCE UPON A MEMORY

I

T ALL BEGAN AS an extra-curricular programme in the Faculty of Engineering (FoE). Mr Peter Ho (Engineering ’03), then a Mechanical Engineering undergraduate, was on a trip to the University of Birmingham to study how its Formula SAE team (FSAE) built their racecar.

What he saw so inspired him that he suggested to his professor in Singapore that NUS’ FoE also participate in FSAE. His idea was accepted and in 2003, the first FSAE team was formed and they built a working racecar. There was not enough funding for the team to take

is making headlines for various ground-breaking achievements in the defence and medical technology fields.

Founded in 2006 by Mr Ho with a startup capital of S$10,000, HOPE Technik had very humble beginnings. Mr Ho had quit as chief engineer of motorsports outfit Team Petronas in Europe and returned to Singapore to look for a job but could not find one. Mr Leong, the team leader of FSAE 2004 and Mr Ho’s successor at Team Petronas experienced the same situation.

“We couldn’t seem to move on in our individual careers, so we started this,” said Mr Leong. The duo began with the modest dream of making motorsports parts to sell.

In 2008, they were joined by another two FSAE alumni: Mr Tang, the FSAE 2006 team leader and his team member Mr Ng Kiang Loong (Engineering ’06), both now 33.

recommended to defence engineers, which kick-started its entry into defence contracts. HOPE Technik builds unmanned drones for military and commercial clients, as well as special vehicles such as the Civil Defence Force’s Red Rhino.

Its entry into medical technology came through Professor Yu Haoyong from the Department of Bioengineering. The company and NUS collaborated on research to create omni-directional wheels on hospital beds. “That has now spawned something where we are licensing some of the technology out through the ILO (International Labour Organisation). We are exporting to 19 countries,” says Mr Ho. Being a small-to-medium sized enterprise, the company is able to take on small quantity orders or special requests. “[We were asked] to create a machine to spin a patient around, to shift the fluids in the

HOPE IN ACTION THE EXPERIENCE AND DETERMINATION FOUR UNDERGRADS GLEANED FROM BEING ON THE FORMULA SAE TEAM SET THEM UP FOR THE SUCCESS THEY NOW ENJOY IN THEIR OWN COMPANY. BY THERESA TAN

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It soon became a four-way partnership. “We did everything ourselves,” Mr Tang remembers.

“Even the door to our first office in Hillview Industrial Estate was selfmade, with a rope as a handle.”

Through word of mouth and networking, doors for HOPE Technik opened to different industries. While working with NUS on some projects

by FoE’s student teams, the firm was

brain and reduce the effects of autism,” describes Mr Ng. Entering the HOPE Technik building, one comes face-to-face with a wall of “10 commandments” (next to a climbing wall). The first commandment is, “It is a passion and a career, not a job.” The driveway bears a giant yellow smiley face, and there is a Google-inspired slide from the second floor to the lobby.

ENGINEERS IN SINGAPORE DON’T GET THE RESPECT AND RECOGNITION THEY DO IN OTHER COUNTRIES. WE WANT THEM TO SEE HOW REWARDING ENGINEERING CAN BE.

PHOTO BY WILSON PANG

part in the competition in the United States, but in the following years the programme gained momentum and funding, and in 2013, it placed 19th out of 120 varsity teams.

Fast-forward to 1 May, 2014. On this day, Mr Ho, 36, and three other fellow FSAE alumni successfully completed the first of a series of test runs of a space plane prototype they had been commissioned to build for French aerospace juggernaut Airbus Defence and Space.

“Everybody’s happy,” says general manager Mr Michael Leong (Engineering ’04), 35. He cannot reveal much more, but principal engineer Mr Jeff Tang (Engineering ’06) says, “The success of this will bring money and a lot of exposure.”

The company they own is HOPE Technik, a high-performance engineering company which

The culture is one of fun and intense creativity. “We want to bring ‘HOPE’ back to engineers,” quips Mr Leong.

“Engineers in Singapore don’t get the respect and recognition they do in other countries,” notes Mr Tang, while Mr Ng adds, “We want them to see how rewarding engineering can be. Don’t just study engineering and become a banker!”

All four credit FSAE for making them the unusual engineers they are today. FSAE members currently

spend two undergraduate years on the programme, and in Mr Tang’s view, FSAE alumni are two years ahead of their peers in terms of maturity as engineers.

“It wasn’t so much the technical skills we learned but how to find out things, and how to do research,” he explains. Mr Ng adds, “In FSAE you’re not spoon-fed. If it fails, you have to fix the problem.”

Mr Tang and Mr Ng’s best memory of FSAE was making it to

ABOVE (FROM LEFT): the design semi-finals Mr Ho, Mr Leong, of the 2006 competition: Mr Tang and Mr Ng with only the 10 best designs an autonomous robot.

Guided by GPS, it patrols were picked out of an installation and detects 180 participants. The intruders with its suite of on-board sensors. design prize was the most sought-after, they recall dreamily.

But the biggest lesson from FSAE, says Mr Ng, is teamwork. “A group of like-minded individuals can get anything done. That’s why we’re here today.”

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A BEAUTIFUL

at conferences, which allowed him to hone his communication skills.

“Suffice to say, there were lots of good memories and friendships.

The experiences and opportunities I had turned me into a more confident person.”

When the time came to make a decision about joining the workforce or doing his Masters, after completing his honours year research project in Developmental Neurobiology – how neurons are formed and connections are made in the brain – Dr Lam chose to stay on. “The thrill of discovery was irresistible and it seemed foolish to give it up,” he says. He applied for and received a research scholarship from NUS to deepen his understanding of the subject.

It was around the same time that Dr Lam hit another milestone – his first-authored scientific article that was published in the peer-reviewed research journal Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience.

He also got a taste of teaching

MIND

HERE WERE NO UNIVERSITY GRADUATES

in his household, Procter & Gamble (P&G) scientist Dr Eric Lam reveals.

In fact, when he voiced his interest in a career in biotechnology, an uncle, who had found success in the marine industry with a polytechnic education, urged him to take the same path.“Back then, biotechnology was a very new field and was not offered by the National University of Singapore. My rationale was that the technical skills I would acquire would be in demand in either the pharmaceutical or health sector,” explains the 40 year-old father of two who works in the Life Sciences department of the US multinational consumer goods company.

Raised by his mother in the family’s modest Bedok flat, he figured his best bet would be to do a diploma in Biotechnology and Medical Laboratory Sciences at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. But it left him wanting. “What seemed to be lacking in the course was a deep understanding of the disease processes and the lack of treatment for some rather common illnesses like diabetes and cancer,” he says.

So he applied to do his degree in Animal Biology at NUS’ Department of Biological Sciences.“It was a

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great learning ground. I gained a lot of insights from studying animal behaviour. Neurobiology was one of my favourite subjects and triggered my interest in disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease,” he recalls.

Dr Lam singles out Associate Professor Angus Munro from the Faculty of Science, who lectured him in Neurobiology, as having left a deep impression. “The subject was complex and the class was often in a daze after his lessons. Assoc Prof Munro once said: ‘Confusion is a necessary step to true deep understanding’. His message triggered my passion, shaped my thinking and led me to pursue scientific research.”

But the exposure he received went far beyond the walls of his own faculty. “You could take as many subjects as you liked to fulfill the criteria for minors, including cross-faculty modules. I had great fun and excelled in Computer Programming and Applications. I also took two semesters of Japanese Studies that led me to appreciate its history, language and culture.”

A ROUNDED EDUCATION

At the Kent Ridge campus, Dr Lam discovered great ‘hideaways’, including the Arts Library, which

THE ‘TRANSFORMER’

Dr Lam now works in P&G’s Transformative Platform Technologies (TPT) department.

He is part of a team of seven that create technologies for products – from beauty to cleaning – that touch human skin. It is a place he refers to as a “playground for innovation”.

His work on next-generation products includes ‘smart’ ingredients that target specific cell types, defined by age, ethnicity and skin or hair type. His wife Carin, a director in the finance industry, is most excited about the fact that he works on products like SKII – a popular and expensive beauty brand that happens to be one of her favourites – and that he has a hand in making it better.

But Dr Lam also helps change lives by serving as a Volunteer Police Officer, putting in at least 16 hours a month at Bishan Neighbourhood Police Post. It is his chance to give back, he explains. “I want to interact with people from all walks of life,” he says.

Dr Lam’s advice to those at the beginning stages of their tertiary education is this: “Go deep in your chosen major but immerse yourselves in the emerging disciplines too. The idea is to catch and surf the best wave when you graduate.” He also encourages them to cultivate what he calls ‘a beautiful mind’. “Work on getting as much experience as you can, be inquisitive, develop compassion and empathy, and be unafraid of failure.

It will bring you further than you can possibly imagine.”

WORK ON GETTING AS MUCH EXPERIENCE AS YOU CAN, BE INQUISITIVE, DEVELOP COMPASSION AND EMPATHY, AND BE UNAFRAID OF FAILURE. yielded as many classics as he could read. He also had the flexibility to fit his class timings to his lifestyle – as an early riser, he would sign up for 8am lectures, leaving the rest of the day for self-study and extracurricular activities. He was in the Life Saving Society and was trained as a lifeguard at the NUS Sports & Recreation Centre Swimming Complex. He still gets in 20 laps a week at the pool. Besides taking part in biathlons or competing in wind-surfing competitions, he was a member of the Students’ Sports Club and organised campus-wide events such as triathlons and mass swims. He also gave presentations

PHOTO BY WILSON PANG

t

AS A SCIENTIST WITH P&G’S LIFE SCIENCES TEAM, DR ERIC LAM (SCIENCE ‘99) HELPS WOMEN DEFY AGEING. BUT MORE CRUCIAL FOR HIM IS A BEAUTIFUL MIND, WHICH HE SAYS HIS EDUCATION HELPED TO CULTIVATE. BY ARTI MULCHAND

practical context. The transition was helped by the fact that most P&G brands are household names.

“I remember my dad using Old Spice aftershave and Head & Shoulders shampoo. I’ve used brands like Oral B and reached for Vicks when I had a cough. I would be working with products that impact daily lives.”

and had the opportunity to tutor undergraduates.

After attending a talk about Developmental Biology by Professor Uwe Strahle from the University of Heidelberg, he was inspired by what he heard. He won the National Science Scholarship by A*STAR, and in 2002, left for the laboratory of Prof Strahle in Germany to do his PhD. Upon returning to Singapore, Dr Lam joined the A*STAR’s Institute of Medical Biology as a researcher, working at the Experimental Dermatology Laboratory. After four-and-a-half years, he left to join P&G, keen to apply what he knew in a more

JUL–SEP 2014

23

CHANGEMAKER

D

R DON BOSCO HAS ALWAYS BEEN

a storyteller, way before he became a father and started weaving tales for his sons Mark, 10 and Luke, eight. For over 20 years the Singaporean of ChineseCeylonese descent produced entertainment and lifestyle content for magazines, television, books and digital media. Today, the 43 year-old publisher, writer, and allround hands-on founder of three year-old micro-publishing studio SuperCoolBooks continues to spin stories, though of a different nature: that of young people on fantastical adventures, travelling through time and space and overcoming adversity through bravery, loyalty, collaboration – and maybe a dose of magic.

As a child, Dr Bosco – who obtained his PhD in Youth Studies from the NUS’ Department of English Language and Literature

message behind a new album Year Zero. Dr Bosco also highlights The Blair Witch Project in 1999 as a successful transmedia storytelling project: by mixing fiction and reality, the movie producers harnessed the specific qualities of each medium to create the illusion of a ‘true story’.

Indeed, transmedia content production has been an area of interest for him since a decade back while he was working on digital projects. However it was a discussion with local distributor Select Books in early 2011 that prompted his formal foray into this arena. The distributor was seeking affordable children’s books with localised content, and he answered their call with the Time Talisman series of ebooks launched in November 2011.

Intrigued by their father’s work, Mark and Luke started to ask Dr Bosco to put their story ideas onto paper. He applied the principles of

put on sale at Select Books stores; an e-book version was also created and is available on iTunes, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and other digital bookstores.

Today, SuperCoolBooks boasts a catalogue of 10 e-books, four paperback novels and even a free activity-based science magazine.

What sets Dr Bosco’s publications apart from conventional books is an interactive element made possible through crossing from one media platform to another. Employing the use of Layar – an application that allows users to scan a page or an image to unveil interactive content on devices such as phones, tablets or even Google Glass – he is able to link his readers to websites featuring behind-the-scenes material, image galleries and more.

He also makes an effort to reach out to collaborators specialising in other mediums to give his books that multi-layered quality. The

ONE BIG ADVENTURE

DR DON BOSCO (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ’95) WANTS TO CHANGE THE WAY CHILDREN READ — ONE TRANSMEDIA BOOK AT A TIME. BY GWEN LIN

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“lean publishing” – using low-cost, accessible tools such as Microsoft Word to put together a book-inprocess, sharing it online or through low-cost platforms, and refining it through reader feedback until the product is ready for mass production.

The desktop-printing project was first distributed to his sons’ friends and soon the children were asking for more. Along the way, Dr Bosco also met with educators, as well as collaborators such as creative writing school Monsters Under the Bed. One thing led to another and by December 2012, a paperback novel titled Ghostly was published and

wordsmith’s collaboration with British illustrator Faye Stacey gave birth to a “steampunk-kungfu adventure” mini-comic titled Secret Engines. The same book was also brought to Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France this June in a bid to reach out to producers, animation studios and content distributors. He is also in the midst of another collaborative project between Spanish illustrator Joseba Morales and local cardboard artist Bartholomew Ting. Legend of the Cardboard Heroes, a comic series depicting normal Singaporeans in the 1960s who turn into self-made

PHOTO BY MARK LEE

in 2008 – was an avid reader. He continues to indulge in Scandinavian crime fiction as an adult. A huge appetite for literature is expected of a writer, but Dr Bosco deviates from the stereotype when he quotes pop culture icons as some of his sources of inspiration.

“Did you know that (industrial rock band) Nine Inch Nails is a pioneer in transmedia content?” he enthuses. “As early as 2007 the band hid clues in their tour merchandise for a treasure hunt of sorts.” Using the clues, fans of the band would move forward in an online game which served to propagate the

superheroes to uphold justice, is also designed to inspire young readers to build their own cardboard armour based on the comic.

While Dr Bosco admits that the uptake among the publishing industry and consumers alike is slow, it is a route he is set on. He laughs in response to the question of when he realised that publishing

transmedia content for children could be a viable business and career.

“This is a very sensible and important question – but my brain has never been capable of analysing my life choices as ‘a viable business’ or ‘career’.

“I approached it from two other angles instead. First, it seemed inevitable that publishing would shift towards a much more digital, social media-driven, global platform, lean, creator-centric model. And so, why not just jump in and specialise in this first? Second is sustainability: how long can I keep this going? So far so good: we’ve practised a lot of the lean startup principles and since our initial investment of S$15 to secure our domain name (SuperCoolBooks.com) and promote our first e-book, we’ve gotten a lot done.”

His gung-ho approach to the business was also partly inspired by his PhD subject. “I was fascinated by the shift

IT’S A VERY DIFFERENT WAY OF WORKING FOR ME, AND MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE EVERY DAY I LEARN A NEW THING OR TWO ABOUT HOW TO BE MORE GENEROUS AND INCLUSIVE.

in youth culture brought about by the Internet. Almost overnight, it seemed like young people were being celebrated as entrepreneurs, innovators and business owners.

It seemed bizarre and game-changing.

“I wanted to understand what made this possible, and see what I could learn from it. The research process gave me a deep understanding of the digital economy, and also the entrepreneurial journey.

Becoming his own publisher has expanded his horizons. “Lately we’ve connected with a lot of collaborators and contributors from all over the world. It’s a very exciting experience, because we own the intellectual property and the publishing brand, and we’re able to share our resources with others to create new opportunities. It’s a very different way of working for me, and more than anything else every day I learn a new thing or two about how to be more generous and inclusive.”

“On the whole it feels like one big adventure!”

JUL–SEP 2014

25

NUS ALUMNI-GREAT EASTERN LIFE BREAKFAST DIALOGUE

HOME-GROWN, GLOBALLY SUCCESSFUL Mr Tang Kin Fei (Mechanical Engineering ’74) recounts his pivotal role in transforming Sembcorp Industries into a global powerhouse. BY WANDA TAN

the time, [the petrochemical cluster on] Jurong Island was growing rapidly, so we decided to serve multiple customers there by developing, owning and operating multi-utility facilities on the island,” Mr Tang recounted.

“This allowed us to leverage on our strengths in engineering and construction. By outsourcing problems such as wastewater treatment to us, industrial customers also benefitted through cost savings.”

Mr Tang was also instrumental in launching Sembcorp Utilities’ overseas operations, with utility facilities located in 50 industrial sites in 15 countries to date, primarily in China. Indeed, Sembcorp Utilities is now the group’s most profitable division, accounting for 51 per cent of net profit – or S$450 million – in 2013.

A VALUABLE EXPERIENCE N ORDER TO achieve sustainable growth, we needed to find revenue streams that would give us stable recurring income – we needed to ‘work hard but work smart’, if you will.”

Thus began Mr Tang Kin Fei’s corporate journey to turn Sembcorp Industries into the leading energy, water and marine group that it is today, with operations across six continents. The Company’s Group President and Chief Executive Officer was speaking to some 130 NUS alumni and students at the second instalment of the NUS Alumni – Great Eastern Life Breakfast Dialogue.

A relatively new initiative by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations, the Breakfast Dialogue was conceived to enable young professionals alumni in executive or middle management positions to engage with industry veterans, as well as network and build meaningful relationships with one another.

Titled ‘Dare to dream – My corporate journey’, the event was held on 15 April 2014 at the Marina “

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I

Mandarin hotel. In her introduction, Dr Gillian Koh, Senior Research Fellow at the NUS Institute of Policy Studies and moderator for the session noted that Mr Tang has spent the last 25-odd years building up a great Singaporean company. “In an era where most business titans today are ‘hired guns’, that is very rare indeed,” she said.

Mr Tang began his talk by retracing his career path. “I was hired

by Sembcorp in 1987 as General Manager of SEMPEC [Sembawang Projects Engineering Company, a then-new onshore plant engineering business],” he said. Prior to that, he had amassed over 10 years of technical and managerial experience from working at the oil giant Esso and at a Dutch engineering and construction company, both in Singapore.

Spurred on by the prospect of recurring income and sustainable growth, he pioneered Sembcorp’s utilities business – providing energy, water, on-site logistics and solid waste management solutions to industrial customers – in the mid-1990s. “At

Participants were quick to give positive feedback.

Mr Abhinav Charan, a 2010 MBA graduate who is now a manager of international banking at a private bank, commented, “It was interesting to hear from an industry leader and learn his moves. I will definitely attend the next session!”

Mr Lee Junxian, a 2008 Bachelor of Business Administration degree holder and current MBA candidate at NUS, echoed the sentiment.

“For someone who comes across as very unassuming and down-to-earth, Mr Tang has done some extraordinary things.

I appreciate how the NUS Office of Alumni Relations is reaching out to younger alumni by inviting industry experts to impart their experiences to us.”

Above all, Mr Tang emphasised, the chief prerequisite to internationalisation is standardisation. “To grow globally, you have to rely on resources outside of Singapore. You need to train overseas project team members and strengthen their capabilities so that they adhere to global standards. For instance, a plant in China should look like any other plant in the world.”

A lengthy Q&A session followed Mr Tang’s talk, with one selfprofessed “small business owner” asking for tips for success. “Dare to dream. Think out of the box. Do not just be content with what you are doing,” said Mr Tang, who has been Group President and CEO since 2005.

He also emphasised the necessity of being well-prepared through detailed planning, and of seeing projects through from start to finish. “I am very involved in project implementation. For example, we have two power plants in India that are currently under development, so every few months I travel to India to

DARE TO DREAM. THINK OUT OF THE BOX. DO NOT JUST BE CONTENT WITH WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

visit the project sites, even though they are in very remote areas.”

Another participant asked what it would take for Singaporeans to step out of their comfort zone and contribute towards the country’s future. Mr Tang’s answer was simple: “Keep learning to improve yourself.”

He advised participants to identify their own shortfalls and

fill any “training gaps” by signing up for short courses. “During my National Service days, I took night classes to learn about discounted cash flow,” said Mr Tang. He also completed the Advanced Management Programme at the French graduate business school INSEAD in 2000, more than 20 years after receiving his Bachelor’s degree.

ONE SPEAKER. 10 MINUTES. BOUNDLESS INSPIRATION.

U@LIVE

A member of the audience asked Mr Lim, who has served under three Prime Ministers during his career in the Civil Service, if he ever had to do something he disagreed with because the order came from a superior.

The former head of the civil service considered the question before replying with a firm “no”.

He qualified by saying that the fundamental principle every employee should have is to “do good” and to ask themselves how they can contribute to the people around them. He would therefore not take orders that cause ill to others.

But, he added, success in one’s role in an organisation includes facilitating the work of one’s superior, as well as one’s peers.

“You want to help your boss do his work better so that you can gain [his] trust”, he said, “and you are generating goodwill from your peers when you help your colleagues succeed”.

When Mr Viswa Sadasivan asked what Mr Lim would do if he

U@live is our monthly guest speaker series that showcase NUS alumni who have a passion for making a difference. Hosted by Alumni Advisory Board member and veteran TV presenter Mr Viswa Sadasivan (Arts and Social Sciences ‘83) at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House, the one-hour session is also streamed live on the U@live website. To register for future U@live events, visit www.nus.edu.sg/ualive.

MR LIM SIONG GUAN (BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ’75)

LEADING BY TEACHING

It is necessary to record the values of a founding generation to ensure the success of future ones, says this former top civil servant.

T

HE IMPORTANCE OF transmitting

success formulas was the reason why Mr Lim Siong Guan, a former top civil servant, wrote his first book. Titled The Leader, The Teacher and You: Leadership Through the Third Generation, it was launched in January this year.

Mr Lim, who is currently the Group President of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), told a packed auditorium why he saw the need to document the principles and values of Singapore’s founding generation to pass on the aforementioned “success formulas”.

“Sixty per cent of the principles, the values and the approaches of the first generation were used by the second generation to tackle the particular issues of their day.

“If the third generation also takes up 60 per cent of what the second generation has exposed them to, you will end up in the situation where the third generation now is using only 36 per cent of what the first generation has started off with,” he said.

It is therefore necessary to record the values of a founding generation in order to effectively pass down leadership lessons and capabilities.

Mr Lim, a former Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Education, said, “The job of a teacher is to develop each student to the best of his or her capability.

The more the student exceeds the teacher, the more successful

BE THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE; HARNESS THE INTEGRITY OF THE FUTURE AND BE AN IMPACT TO THE FUTURE.

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the teacher is. When I look at the teacher, I see [that] all leaders should aspire to be like a teacher.”

His observation is that values serve as the compass for every organisation. He also notes that as a company moves itself forward, it has to dare to be different.

Illustrating with a “live” example, he posed this question: should an employee who causes his organisation to lose S$1 million be told to leave the firm?

Mr Lim shared his perspective in analysing such situations: he reasoned that if that employee leaves the firm, he would have benefitted from “free training” and the next organisation he joins then stands to gain from the lessons and experience he has gained through his mistakes at his former company. Mr Lim suggested that it might be better to retain the employee so that he can contribute to the future of his current organisation.

The question most people ask when considering issues in Singapore is: “What should we do?”. However, Mr Lim suggested that the question one should ask is: “What should we be?”. The 67-yearold grandfather of four explained that when the end point – the ideal state of being – is clear, the journey to reach that target then becomes much easier and clearer.

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were stuck in a position where he had to carry out a duty which he did not believe in, Mr Lim’s position was clear: “I [would] quit,” he said.

Mr Lim’s illustrious career in the public service spanned 37 years.

He held the post of Permanent Secretary in the Finance, Education and Defence ministries and the Prime Minister’s Office. He retired from public service in 2006.

When another member of the audience asked for advice that he

would give civil servants today, Mr Lim gave not one, but three nuggets of wisdom: “Be the best that you can be; harness the integrity of the future and be an impact to the future.”

BY YEO ZHI QI MR LIM SPOKE ON 27 MARCH 2014.

U@LIVE

OPEN YOUR HEART, SEEK TO BE INSPIRED, LOOK FOR ANGELS AND WORK WITH THEM.

MR HSIEH FU HUA (BUSINESS ’74)

A PASSION THAT GROWS The Chairman of banking organisation UOB and President of the National Council of Social Service on what drives him to give back to the less-fortunate and how he influences others to do the same.

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member’s doubt on the effectiveness of various small charitable organisations serving the same charity cause and their sustainability, Mr Hsieh gave his nod of approval to their existence.

He encourages charity organisations to operate just like businesses so as to be more effective. Even in a charitable organisation, there needs to be a competitive board with competitive people who have a heart for the cause that “fosters leaders, not just managers, who are professionally dedicated to this belief”. As for the issue of sustainability, Mr Hsieh outlined the difference between motivation that is driven by impulse and that by passion. “Impulse is sporadic, passions burn. Passion is enduring – it grows and drives you.”

OME DADS DISCIPLINE their kids,

and some impart skills like how to ride a bicycle – but in the case of Mr Hsieh Fu Hua, compassion for others was the biggest lesson he took away from his father. The seed of giving and reaching out to those in need, said Mr Hsieh, Chairman of UOB, a banking organisation headquartered in Singapore, was planted in him early in his childhood. Speaking in the capacity of his role as President of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), Mr Hsieh reminisced about how he grew up playing with his many foster siblings – children from orphanages that his father, whom he cited as his personal hero, had taken into their home to care for over the years.

A hero, Mr Hsieh clarified, need not be a family member but anyone who is doing good, even if it is just someone you read about. “Open your heart, seek to be inspired, look for angels and work with them,” he advised, acknowledging that no role model is perfect.

Role models notwithstanding, Mr Hsieh also emphasised the importance of getting into volunteerism as a means to open oneself up to various social issues in Singapore. He pointed out that we live in a confusing world where alongside prosperity, there also exists innumerable problems.

And although poverty is not as stark and visible as it is in Africa for example, there are poor people in our country. Besides, Mr Hsieh said, volunteering transforms the individual who embarks on it. The experience of giving is not one-way, but will instead enrich one’s own life immeasurably.

To get onto the path of serving those in need, it is best to take baby steps, he suggested. “Ease into it by doing something easy that you’re comfortable with. Then use the skills and gifts you have to help,” he advised. “Once you’ve decided to volunteer and serve, commit to it. Doing charity and the giving of yourself cannot be a lazy effort.”

Mr Hsieh highlighted NCSS’s efforts in bringing businesses together to boost their efforts and dedication to charity. Companies

have the ability to provide solutions, he said, citing a restaurateur who offered to serve gourmet fare at an old folks’ home so that its residents can have some variety to an otherwise routine daily meal. Staff involved in the project contribute their expertise and such form of volunteerism can become part of a company’s culture.

Mr Hsieh’s leadership approach however, is to influence, not

impose. “I don’t believe in pushing anyone, even my own children, to do anything. As long as the seed has been planted, the time [for a person to step forward and serve the lessfortunate] will eventually come. It’s all about timing,” said Mr Hsieh, who also spearheads various other companies and boards including GIC and Tiger Airways Holdings as well as The National Art Gallery.

In response to an audience

BY FAIROZA MANSOR MR HSIEH SPOKE ON 23 APRIL 2014.

U@live is a monthly

one speaker 10 minutes

BOUNDLESS INSPIRATION

speaker series that showcase outstanding members of the NUS community. Apart from having a live audience, U@live will also be webcasted live through a dedicated website where users can send in real time

27 AUG 2014

U@live Speaker Series are

WEDNESDAY 7.30PM

Mr Zulkifli Bin Baharudin

(Design and Environment - Real Estate ’84) Chairman, Indo Trans Logistics Corporation Managing Director, Global Business Integrators Pte Ltd Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador Designate to Algeria and Uzbekistan

comments and questions directly to the speakers.

I

29 SEP 2014

I

MONDAY 7.30PM

Professor Hsieh Tsun-Yan Management Advisory Board Member &

moderated by Mr Viswa

Provost Chair Professor (Practice Track), NUS Business School

Sadasivan, Chairman of

Chairman and Lead Counselor of Lin Heart Group

the U@live Organising Committee and Member of the NUS Alumni Advisory Board.

Reserve Your Seats Now!

Attend the forum live at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet

OR

Join Us Online!

www.nus.edu.sg/ualive

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS GIVING

COUPLE CELEBRATES THEIR TIME ON CAMPUS WITH GIFT TO BURSARIES

SOCIOLOGY PIONEER CLASS MAKES FIRST-EVER CLASS REUNION GIFT Inspired by Mr Yap Boh Tiong (Arts and Social Sciences ’69), his classmates have rallied round to set up a bursary fund.

N

Campus Couple, Mr Wong Ah Long (Science ’69) and his wife Ms Yang Pow Si (Business ’73), finds giving back to their alma mater a very natural thing to do.

The couple met while studying at the University of Singapore, NUS’ predecessor institution, during Rag Day. He was pursuing an MBA and she was studying Business. “You never know who you will meet. The campus is a fantastic crucible for people to develop friendships. My wife is my anchor and my better half,” explains Mr Wong.

The couple has many fond memories of their time at the Bukit Timah campus. There were the many hours spent with their fellow students sipping teh tarik at the

(From left): Mr Wong Ah Long (Science ’69) and Ms Yang Pow Si (Business ’73) with the campus couple who spearheaded the NUS Campus Couples Bursary Fund, Ms Kong Yuet Peng (Business ’86) and Mr Yeo Keng Joon (Business ’85).

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sarabat stall, affectionately dubbed “The Watering Hole”, and the Student Union House.

“University was a very positive experience. It gave us the chance to share and make lifelong friends from many cultures and Faculties.

Today, we still meet up as a group at Chinese New Year,” says Mr Wong.

He has watched the University evolve over the years. “NUS has undergone tremendous change.

It has grown into an internationally renowned university.

The courses are more interesting. And Are you a campus couple?

Would you like to support the students have so many NUS Campus Couples Bursary opportunities – such as Fund? For more information overseas exchanges – about the NUS Campus that did not exist in my Couples Bursary Fund, or to make a gift, please contact day,” says Mr Wong. kjyeo@alumni.nus.edu.sg “Notwithstanding its size, the University

“THE UNIVERSITY AND ALUMNI HAVE A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP. THEY RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE OF EACH OTHER.” MR WONG AH LONG (SCIENCE ’69)

ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES

E

ducation was the X-factor and our leverage to have a better chance to succeed in life,” says businessman Mr Wong Ah Long (Science ’69). Mr Wong and his wife, Ms Yang Pow Si (Business ’73), recently made a gift to the National University Singapore (NUS) Campus Couples Bursary Fund, part of the alumni-led NUS Alumni Bursary Fund Campaign.

The Fund encourages couples who met on campus to make a gift to bursaries in support of financiallydisadvantaged students.

recognises the importance of friendships and interaction.

University Town has succeeded in replicating the intermingling of students from different Faculties that existed at the old Bukit Timah campus.”

Since graduation, Mr Wong has stayed very involved in the University, participating in many activities organised by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations, the National University of Singapore Society, the Business School and the Science Faculty. He has also served on the NUS Board of Trustees.

“The University and alumni have a symbiotic relationship. They recognise the importance of each other. The success of alumni also reflects the success of the University and vice versa,” he explains.

The gift to the Campus Couples Bursary Fund was a natural next step for Mr and Mrs Wong. “We feel it is the right thing to do and it came very easily to us. We are very fortunate to be blessed – education gave us the opportunity to make a reasonable living,” says Mr Wong. “We would like to help others through our token. It will make us happy, no matter who we are helping.”

ational University of Singapore (NUS) alumnus Mr Yap Boh Tiong (Arts and Social Sciences ’69) is no stranger to giving. He gives his time to speak at career talks and guest lectures.

He spends precious hours mentoring students and (From left): Sociology Class of 1969 alumni Ms Joyce Davamoni, Ms Leong Siew Wah, Mr Ilangovan K., hosting overseas students, Mr Yap Boh Tiong, Ms Patricia Gay, Mr Andrew Yeo and and even offers students Mr Goh Chai Lam. internship attachments at his company, the Mileage “WHEN THE BOND Communications Group. He also serves on NUS committees advising on IS ESTABLISHED, public relations and fundraising.

GIVING WILL But he does not just stop there.

COME NATURALLY.” When Mr Yap met his classmates at MR YAP BOH TIONG a homecoming event, he decided to (ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES '69) inspire them to give too. The Sociology pioneer Class of 1969 commemorated alumni on different levels such as their 45th year of graduation by raising asking them to give their time and expertise in special programmes funds for the FASS Sociology Pioneer like mentorships, career talks and Class of ’69 Alumni Bursary Fund. discussion forums.

The fund will benefit two students “When the bond is established, every year, and they will have the giving will come naturally privilege of meeting the Sociology because they now can see what the pioneer class at the annual reunion University is doing and how it is dinner. “We hope to inculcate in them establishing itself as a world-class the spirit of giving and that they have university. I run a public relations to ‘give back to society’ when the time consultancy comes for them to do so,” says Mr Yap. and in our He has fond memories of his time work the at NUS and made a lot of friends while need to studying in the Law library.

For information on making a communicate Mr Yap's soft spot for giving to gift to NUS, please contact 1800-DEVELOP with all education has benefitted not only (1800-338-3567) or email: stakeholders NUS, but other universities and askdvo@nus.edu.sg on a regular polytechnics as well. It is his hope If you have a story to basis is key,” that more alumni will give and share, please contact he shares. he advises fundraisers to engage whatsyourstory@nus.edu.sg JUL–SEP 2014

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ALUMNI HAPPENINGS EVENTS

FASS Alumni Return for Career Talks FASS alumnus and Principal of Bowen Secondary School Mr Bernard Chew (Arts and Social Sciences ‘98) (first from right), engaging students at the FASS Alumni-Student Speed Mentoring and Networking Evening.

The FASS Alumni-Student Speed Mentoring and Networking evening was a success.

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), in collaboration with the NUS Career Centre, held its second FASS Career Day on 13 March 2014.

The initiative comprised three different events – two industry talks and a ‘Speed Mentoring and Networking’ session featuring alumni. More than

20 FASS alumni from various job sectors shared their work experiences with over 160 students.

FASS Career Day kick-started with an industry talk on Human Resources where representatives from Citibank and McDonald’s restaurants advised students on current employment

trends. This was followed by ‘FASS Career Insights @ Marketing Analysis and Research’ during which representatives from Millward Brown and Bloomberg shared their perspectives on the market research/analysis industry. Millward Brown account manager Ms Cassandra Tan (Arts and Social Sciences ’10) expressed how privileged it was to return to her alma mater.

The day ended with the highly interactive ‘FASS Alumni-Student Speed Mentoring and Networking Evening’ where 17 FASS alumni from the banking, healthcare, education and consulting sectors shared their working experiences with students over dinner and drinks. Mr Gabriel Yeo (Arts and Social Sciences ’04) a senior manager and head of strategic plans at MINDEF, found the initiative a good opportunity for him to connect with FASS students who were intending to join the public service. At the end of the evening, students gave positive feedback, as many found the alumni mentors “extremely passionate and informative”.

FASS Career Day aims to guide FASS students in charting their career paths upon commencement.

TEMASEK HALL 25TH ANNIVERSARY RAFFLES HALL 55TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS Decked in elegant formal wear, past and present residents of Raffles Hall (RH) gathered at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House on 19 February 2014 to celebrate RH’s 55th birthday, as well as to commemorate the release of the Hall’s digitised yearbooks from 1960 to 2012.

Alumni recalled their years in RH with great fondness. There were band performances by both current and past alumni residents. RHythm, the Hall’s newly-formed a cappella group, sang ‘Happy Birthday’ as previous hall masters and prominent alumni cut the cake. Dinner was accompanied by performances from RHythm and RH Voices.

It was an evening where memories were relived and new ones were made.

By Phoenix Press – a publication by Raffles Hall

Temasek Hall celebrated its 25th year on 5 April 2014. Students, fellow, alumni and staff – from the 1st Junior Common Room Committee Vice-President to the 25th – returned to reminisce about the Hall.

The celebrations included sporting activities, a lion dance performance, band sessions, a tree-planting dedication and the addition of new memories to the time capsule.

Past residents posed in front of the rooms they used to stay in. The time capsule provided an opportunity for current residents to engage with the past, and for past residents to recall fond memories of good times.

JUL–SEP 2014

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第三届中国电影节

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS EVENTS

China Film Festival 2014

Dates

|

Time

|

Venue

|

85th Anniversary Celebration of the Faculty of Dentistry

18, 20 & 21 October 2014 8pm Shaw Foundation Alumni House National University of Singapore, 11 Kent Ridge Drive, Singapore 119244

Please registe r your intere st online at

LEFT: Chief Dental Officer, Assoc Prof Patrick Tseng (Dentistry ’85) (left) and Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, Assoc Prof Grace Ong (Dentistry ’79) at the Oral Health Screening.

Free Admi s sion alumnet.nus .edu

.sg /event /cnf f2014

As part of the Faculty of Dentistry’s 85th Anniversary celebrations, an Oral Health Screening was organised on 22 March 2014 at the faculty’s grounds. Chief Dental Officer, Associate Professor Patrick Tseng (Dentistry ’85) graced the occasion together with Associate Professor Grace Ong (Dentistry ’79), Dean of Faculty. About 260 participants attended the screening.

Themed ‘Make Oral Health Care a Family Affair’, the event encouraged the attendance of family members.

Through this screening, participants discovered their existing state of oral health and received customised advice on achieving and maintaining good oral health.

Dental health talks on gum health, braces, children’s oral health and seniors’ oral health were also delivered by specialists. Booths were set up to promote oral health messages and to create an atmosphere of ‘edu-tainment’ for the participants.

The screenings provided both students and staff the opportunity to share their expertise and to make a contribution towards improving the oral health of the community.

RIGHT: Alumni, staff and students were glad to have the opportunity to enrich the community on dental health.

In celebration of its 85th anniversary, the Faculty of Dentistry invites all alumni and friends to its Gala Dinner at the Pan Pacific Grand Ballroom on 30 August 2014. Join Guest-ofHonour Mr Heng Swee Keat, Minister for Education, in commemorating the Faculty’s 85 years of achievements. This will be an excellent opportunity for alumni and friends to reminisce the good old days and rekindle friendship.

Book your tickets at http://www.dentistry.nus.edu.sg/85/

Let's

一代宗师 The Grandmaster (2013) 18 Oct 2014

大闹天宫

白日焰火

The Monkey King (2014) 20 Oct 2014

Black Coal, Thin Ice 21 Oct 2014

Chill Out! showing

31 july

(PG)

showing

28 august

(PG-13)

showing

25 september

(PG)

*Movie Ratings To Be Advised.

Organised By:

联办

中华人民共和国驻新加坡共和国大使馆 Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Singapore

Admission is FREE Venue: Shaw Foundation Alumni House Time: 7.30pm Register at: www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet

For enquiries, please contact Mr Kyaw Win Shwe at kyawwinshwe@nus.edu.sg or 6516 5769.

JUL–SEP 2014

37

Your complimentary AlumNUS Card entitles you to a host of benefits and privileges!

Get your Alum NUS Card at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/alumnuscard

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS EVENTS

NUS OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

Enjoy 15% discount off venue rates for event bookings at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House.

Venue booking: T 6516 7700

E sfahvenues@nus.edu.sg

Participating Merchants FOOD & BEVERAGE HOUSE

20% discount off Vintage High Tea on Thursdays.

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15% discount off total bill W: www.dbell.sg

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15% discount off regular-priced ‘Dinner Delights’.

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15% discount off for all Sandwiches, Wraps and Salads only.

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Skinny Pizza

10% discount off total bill.

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Browhaus – The Brow Salon

- 50% discount off first brow shaping services.

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We Need A Hero

- 20% discount off first haircut, shave, brow or wax.

- 10% discount off all package purchases.

W: www.strip.com.sg

- Facial or massage (60 mins) at S$48 (usual from S$128) + one time welcome gift.

- 10% discount off a la carte services and products on subsequent services.

W: www.onebeautyspa.com

boCHINche

- 20% discount off corporate team building programs and private cooking parties.

- 10% discount off regular scheduled cultural cooking classes.

W: www.foodplayground.com.sg

LIFESTYLE & LEISURE Strip: Ministry of Waxing

- 50% discount off first wax.

- 10% discount off all package purchases.

W: www.strip.com.sg

Geography alumni include Mr Alvin Sim (fourth from left), Mr Brian Liu (centre) and Ms Christel Quek (fourth from right).

THIRSTY THURSDAYS The ever-popular ‘Thirsty Thursdays’ organised by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations, was back in town on 15 May 2014.

Four NUS alumni – Mr Darren Foong (Science ’13), Mr Hee En Hua (Arts and Social Sciences ’13), Mr Luke Vijay Somasundram (Arts and Social Sciences ’14) and Mr Rajat Verma (Engineering ’13) – from The Improv company (a Singapore-based theatre-focussed organisation) entertained more than 130 young participants with a comedy performance at Barber Shop by Timbre.

Participants enjoyed meeting new friends and networking at the event.

One Beauty Spa

EDUCATION & SELF ENRICHMENT

Enjoy a specialty coffee (from Common Man Coffee Roasters) when you dine for lunch.

W: www.bochinche.com.sg

Four alumni from the Department of Geography turned up at the Geography Open House and Career Talk on 26 February 2014 to speak to over 400 undergraduates and junior college students. Reminiscing about their time at the Department, Ms Clarissa Koh (Arts and Social Sciences ’08), Ms Christel Quek (Arts and Social Sciences ’12), Mr Brian Liu (Arts and Social Sciences ’12) and Mr Alvin Sim (Arts and Social Sciences ’06) also shared how their geographical training prepared them for their work in organisations as varied as Twitter, the National Environment Agency, the Singapore Land Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

Mr Alvin Sim (who was also valedictorian in 2006) reflected, “It is gratifying to have the chance to inspire current and soon-to-be undergraduates about how my education experience in NUS had prepared me to excel at my work in the aviation sector. I am confident that they, too, will have their own inspiring tales to share in time to come.”

spa esprit

Tiong Bahru Bakery (TBB)

10% discount off total bill at Raffles City and TANGS Orchard outlets only.

W: www.tiongbahrubakery.com

GEOGRAPHY ALUMNI RETURN FOR CAREER TALK

Food Playground

OTHER SERVICES Drive.SG

- 20% discount off all Weekday rentals.

- 10% discount off all Weekends and Public Holidays rentals.

W: www.drive.sg

Terms and conditions apply. The NUS Office of Alumni Relations and the AlumNUS Card merchants reserve the right to amend the terms and conditions governing the offers at anytime. All information is correct at press time. Visit www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet for the latest privileges and promotions.

JUL–SEP 2014

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ALUMNI HAPPENINGS EVENTS

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS OVERSEAS CHAPTERS

Happy 85th Birthday FASS, FoD and FoS! of FoD and Professor Andrew Wee of FoS — added to the fun and merriment by running several rounds and encouraging their colleagues to hit the track together.

The faculties and their constituent departments also organised teams With an air horn, Prof Tan Eng Chye flagged off the relay teams who were all ready to participate in a to run. resilience relay run of 8.5km per team.

This was flagged off at 10.30am by show of support. Prof Tan got into the act by the Guest-of-Honour, NUS Deputy joining the relay teams over the last 800m. The President (Academic Affairs) and run culminated in a grand finish with several Provost, Professor Tan Eng Chye hundred runners led by Dr Tan, Prof Tan and the (Science ’85). three Faculty Deans racing down the last 100m to Each team, with varying numbers the finishing line in a truly spectacular finish. of runners, had to collectively cover the Summing up the event, Professor Wong Sek Man, gruelling resilience distance of 8.5km Chairman of the FoS’ 85th Anniversary Celebration (22 laps). Many non-team runners Advisory Committee, was glad that “the turnout spontaneously rallied around their was great, the weather was great, and the spirit of teams by running with their respective resilience was great!”. team flags and colleagues in a mass Mr Perry Hee (Science ’83)

In light of rising consumerism leading to higher meat production and waste generation, MEM (MSc in Environmental Management) Alumni organised a seminar on environmental impacts and challenges on 29 March 2014.

Themed ‘Minimising our footprint – recycling and vegetarianism’, the full-day event was held in collaboration with two NGOs: the Tzu Chi Foundation (Singapore) and the Singapore Environment Council (SEC).

Mr Jose Raymond, Executive Director of the SEC and Mr Khor Chin Seng, Cadre Volunteer of the Tzu Chi Foundation 40

ALUMNUS

addressed the lively audience comprising environmentalists, academics and students. Topics shared included national waste management, local efforts in recycling and upcycling in communities and the benefits of vegetarianism in reducing the ecological footprint.

Of key concern was the ecological footprint of consumers of Singapore in a land-scarce country where waste is ultimately landfilled at an off-shore island, posing the question of how to deal with increasing waste generation in the coming

HONG KONG OVERSEAS CHAPTER REUNION DINNER 2014

decades. Mr Teoh Soon Kay from the National Environment Agency said that one solution would be to encourage more recycling efforts through greater education and awareness, to complement on-going recycling programmes at HDB blocks.

Another approach is for communities to participate in recycling activities. Mr Khor Chin Seng, Commissioner of the Tzu Chi Foundation shared how this spirited effort drives 1,200 people who operate more than 30 recycling locations in Singapore.

“Consumers could exercise their choice in purchasing products with certified Green Labels to reduce their carbon footprint”, said Mr Kavickumar Muruganathan of the SEC. Associate Professor Lye Lin Heng, Chair of the MEM Programme Committee, suggested that enacting a law on recycling would be an effective solution in stemming the rise of wastage.

The session rounded off with a lively question-and-answer session moderated by MEM Alumni Ms Mallika Naguran (MEM ’13) and Mr Ajay Pathania (MEM ’14).

Ms Mallika Naguran (MEM ’13)

The NUS Beijing Overseas Chapter organised a visit to the ‘Beijing Agriculture Carnival’ and the ‘Anti-corruption exhibition of Ming Dynasty in Ming Tombs’ at the Changping District on 19 April 2014. The event brought together 27 NUS alumni and their family members and 90 overseas school graduates.

Held by the Agriculture Ministry of the Beijing Municipal Government and Changping District from 15 March to 4 May 2014, the ‘Beijing Agriculture Carnival’ gave participants the opportunity to learn about agriculture, practise farming and enjoy strawberry-picking. The 50-day carnival received about a million visitors. Participants also got to learn more about the laws of anti-corruption and punishments in Ming Dynasty at the ‘Anti-corruption exhibition’.

Mr Lyon Sun Liyong (LKYSPP ’11), Chairperson, Beijing Overseas Chapter,

The NUS Hong Kong Overseas Chapter organised a Reunion Dinner on 4 April 2014. The event was graced by Mr Chng Tze Chia (Arts and Social Sciences ‘99), Singapore’s Deputy Consul-General to Hong Kong and Associate Professor Victor R Savage (Arts and Social Sciences ‘72), Director of the NUS Office of Alumni Relations.

More than 100 NUS alumni living and working in Hong Kong turned up. Alumni took the opportunity to catch up and network. For some, the meet-up was a first and gave them the chance to get to know fellow alumni in Hong Kong. The dinner was also a perfect platform to commemorate the formation of the new committee for the Hong Kong Overseas Chapter.

Mr Tang Kin Ching (Computing ’07), Chairperson, Hong Kong Overseas Chapter

JAKARTA OVERSEAS CHAPTER REUNION DINNER

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT MEM Alumni Seminar touches on topics of recycling and vegetarianism.

PHOTO: MOHD NOOR HARON

The Faculties of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), Dentistry (FoD) and Science (FoS) turn 85 this year! To celebrate this special anniversary, a jointly-organised mass run aptly named the ‘Resilience Run’ was held on 29 March 2014. The Run symbolises and celebrates the resilience of the three faculties in weathering and overcoming numerous challenges since 1929 to become the uniquely successful faculties they are today.

Close to 600 faculty, staff, students, alumni and their families turned up at the NUS track, running distances ranging from 400m to 21km.

Dr William Tan, an internationallyprominent paraplegic athlete, enthusiastically supported the event by completing his pledge of 85km (213 laps) on his specially-equipped hand-powered tricycle.

The runners endured the scorching sun and persevered to complete their individually-pledged distances. The three Deans — Professor Brenda Yeoh of FASS, Associate Professor Grace Ong

THE BEIJING OVERSEAS CHAPTER VISIT

XIAMEN OVERSEAS CHAPTER REUNION LUNCH AT THE 2014 SINGAPORE FOOD FESTIVAL OPENING

The NUS Jakarta Overseas Chapter had a fruitful evening on 22 March 2014. The new committee’s motto: ‘Brings connection to a greater height’, aims for a better and more mutual relationship between NUS alumni professionals and businessmen in Indonesia and the global scene.

The new committee was formally introduced after the welcome speech by the new Chairperson, Mr Robby Gunawan Tandra and the Director of the NUS Office of Alumni Relations, Associate Professor Victor R Savage. Alumni interacted over cocktails and dinner. NUS alumni Mr Suwandy Lee (Business ’11), Mr Adi Hartono (Business ’10), Mr Azhar Risyad Sunaryo (Engineering ’07) and Ms Ike Rahmawati presented a song from Indonesian legendary singer Chrisye, titled ‘Cintaku’.

Following the performance, Assoc Prof Savage sang ‘What A Wonderful World’. The dinner rounded off with alumni networking and renewing of old friendships.

Mr Robby Gunawan Tandra (Engineering ’08), Chairperson, Jakarta Overseas Chapter

Singaporean artists performing at the reunion lunch for NUS alumni in Xiamen.

About 30 alumni and their families were invited by the Consulate-General of Singapore in Xiamen to attend the Opening of the Singapore Food Festival on 29 March 2014 in Hotel Indigo, Xiamen. Following performances by Singapore artists, Mr Loh Tuck Keat (Arts and Social Sciences ’94), Singapore Consul-General in Xiamen, announced the official opening of the event, which was held during the 4th Nanyang Trade fair organised by the Xiamen Municipal Government and the Consulates-General of the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Alumni enjoyed the opportunity to savour local Singaporean delights as well as other South-East Asian dishes.

Dr Jing Li (Science ’02) JUL–SEP 2014

41

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS REUNIONS

NUS LAW REUNION IN KUALA LUMPUR

Computing’s 100002 Anniversary Gala Dinner

NUS Law graduates met up in Kuala Lumpur on 25 April 2014 at The Ritz-Carlton. The reunion saw many alumni driving in from various Malaysian cities to revel in an evening of laughter and reunion. The get-together rounded off with alumni networking and the renewing of old friendships.

To commemorate its 100002 (16th) anniversary, the School of Computing (SoC) invites all DCS/ DISCS/SoC alumni and friends to its Gala Dinner on 17 October 2014.

Join your SoC classmates and professors to celebrate 16 Years of Computing Power. Reminisce the good times, rekindle friendships, network with your seniors in the industry and connect with current students!

GANO ALUMNI APPRECIATION DINNER 2014 Prof Chan, Dean of FoE, with the Platinum Donors

NUS ENGINEERING CHARITY GOLF 2014 The NUS Engineering Charity Golf 2014 event was held on 20 May 2014 at the Orchid Country Club. Jointly organised by the Engineering Class of 1982 and the Electrical and Computer Engineering Alumni and supported by the NUS Faculty of Engineering (FoE), the event aimed to raise S$200,000 for the Engineering Class of 1982 Bursary Endowed Fund.

A full house of 144 golfers, comprising Engineering alumni and friends teed off to near-perfect weather at 1.30pm. The tournament was followed by dinner at the Jade Foyer, attended by 229 diners comprising golfers, donors, friends and staff.

At the dinner, the Organising Chairman, Mr Seah Cheng San (Engineering ’82) presented a cheque of S$388,000 to the Dean of FoE, Professor Chan Eng Soon. This 42

ALUMNUS

amount was nearly double that of the S$200,000 target and is the highest sum ever raised by a golf event in NUS. The Dean also presented tokens of appreciation to 11 Platinum (S$25,000 and above) donors; including the Institute of Engineers, ToteBoard and alumni donors.

Golf competition prizes and golf novelty prizes were presented to the winners over the course of the evening. The Most Inspiring Golfer award was presented to Professor Lee Seng Lip, who at age 89 can still play a good round of golf, even outscoring a number of the younger golfers.

Alumni band, the ‘Tigerlilies’ kept diners entertained throughout the evening, with renditions of popular favourites. The evening culminated with a Grand Lucky Draw which saw 12 happy winners walk home with attractive prizes.

The NUS Business School Global Alumni Network Office (GANO) held its Alumni Appreciation Dinner 2014, in recognition of and in gratitude to its alumni, for the many ways they have given back to the University. Their passion for making a difference to the NUS Business School shone through as they mingled and networked with one another at the ballroom of the Movenpick Heritage Hotel in Sentosa on 29 April 2014.

91ST MEDICAL ALUMNI REUNION IN IPOH Calling all medical alumni! Join us at the 91st Medical Alumni Association Reunion.

Date: 21 to 23 November 2014 Venue: Ipoh, Perak Malaysia, Hotel Casuarina @ Meru

More information on the event can be found at http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/newsroom/16thAnnivGala/index.htm Register your interest for the event at https://register.comp.nus.edu.sg/16thAnnivGala

NUS ALUMNI & FRIENDS

GOLF TOURNAMENT

23

rd

NUS Business School Alumni Appreciation Dinner 2014

For more information, write to admin@medicalalumni.org.sg or call 6223 4680.

1 October 2014 (Wednesday) 1pm Shotgun, Jurong Country Club

Alumni/Friends S$150 Undergraduates S$100 JCC members S$60

Brought to you by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations, in collaboration with the NUS Society.

Register Now!

alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/ANF14

NUS Alumnae Lifestyle Workshop

Create

CLASS NOTES

A GIFT OF POSSIBILITIES

The Tan Choon Kim Award will enable NUS librarians access to overseas conferences and training opportunities.

Mr Ng and his mother, the late Mdm Tan Choon Kim.

NUS Libraries. He shares the interesting journey with The AlumNUS.

Can you share more about your mother Mdm Tan Choon Kim, and why you decided to establish the award in her name?

She was the closest person to me, and was the most supportive in the family when I decided to take up studies in Music and Library Science. My mother had a career in teaching, just

FTER WORKING FOR 27 YEARS at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Libraries, Mr Ng Kok Koon (Science ’70) made a gift upon his retirement to establish the Tan Choon Kim Award in memory of his late mother. The gift gives professional library staff access to overseas conferences and training opportunities which, Mr Ng believes, are crucial to the development of good librarians.

The holder of three Masters degrees — a Masters in Music from Northwestern University, a Masters in Library Science and an MBA from the University of Chicago — Mr Ng was a unique NUS librarian in his time.

Despite discovering early on that he had misunderstood what being a librarian entails, Mr Ng went on to play a key role in many developmental milestones at the

A

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ALUMNUS

What do you hope your gift will achieve?

I believe that professional library staff should widen their horizons through overseas training programmes and conferences. They should build strong networking bonds with librarians from other regions, learn good practices and exchange perspectives and, at the same time, spread the good name of the NUS Libraries. With this gift, I hope that they will have more opportunities to do so.

Personal

Style

Please share some highlights of your career.

I had the stereotypical idea of a good librarian then — one who loved books, just like me. Of course it turned out not to be true, as I realised after I joined the NUS Libraries in 1984. What makes a good librarian is the love of people, not books, and recognising that librarianship is first and foremost a service. It requires precision and timeliness as information is of no value if it is not provided at the time it is required.

In the early 1990s, I worked

closely with Ms Sylvia Yap to set up OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue) before taking over the later developments. I also set up the Digital Services Division in 1998, which began the process of converting the library from print to electronic. The Division coordinated the e-collection across all the NUS Libraries and was one of the first libraries in the region to begin the digitisation of our own collection.

It is still an ongoing process.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD LIBRARIAN IS THE LOVE OF PEOPLE, NOT BOOKS. LIBRARIANSHIP IS FIRST AND FOREMOST A SERVICE. like my father, before becoming a housewife. My parents were very involved in education and my father gave generously of his time and money to schools.

your own

But I did end up with a dream job — to set up the Conservatory Music Library at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, from scratch.

What is the one message you would like to share with staff who will benefit from this gift?

Be open-minded and make the most of the opportunities out there. Do not sit back passively. Look out for available conferences and training and fight to For information on making attend these. a gift to NUS, contact us at 1800-DEVELOP Let the world (1800-338-3567) or know that email askdvo@nus.edu.sg. librarians are If you have a story to pro-active share, please contact us at and assertive. whatsyourstory@nus.edu.sg.

Date : 30 July 2014, Wednesday Time : 6.30pm – 9.30pm Venue : Shaw Foundation Alumni House PROGRAMME: 6.30pm 7.30pm 8.45pm

Registration and Dinner Reception (with flash makeovers) Talks, Demonstrations and Fashion Show Q&A session and prize giveaways

alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/LWjul14 for more information

shu uemura

“Beautiful makeup starts with beautiful skin” – Mr Shu Uemura Learn from the makeup experts!

Let shu uemura show you how to stylise your daily makeup.

Learn to create shine-free and longer-lasting makeup.

Robinsons

First impression is truly the last impression

Need help in creating your unique office style?

Learn how to add spice to your wardrobe or pair colours.

Calling all NUS Alumnae!

Join the Robinsons personal shopping team, shu uemura makeup experts and L’Oréal hair professionals, as they show you the tips and tricks of creating a lasting impression.

Looking effortlessly classy has never been easier!

Organised by:

APR–JUN 2014

45

CULTURE

All information correct at time of print and is subject to change without prior notice.

Please visit www.nus.edu.sg/museum for updates.

OF MALAYA AND TREES Woodcuts, art and artefacts.

TOGETHER AGAIN (WOOD:CUT) PART V: EVIDENCE Lucy Davis 13 June – November 2014, NUS Museum “When you get closer to the heart you may find cracks” Stories of Wood by the Migrant Ecologies Project NUS Museum presents an exhibition featuring encounters and exchanges between the arts and sciences, between practice and research, between the inquiring subject and the object inquired. An interdisciplinary project, “When you get closer to the heart, you may find cracks” is a continued inquiry by the Migrant Ecologies Project into the human relationships with trees, forests and forest products in Southeast Asia – explored in terms of materials, metaphors, magic, ecological resources and historical agency.

The exhibition will feature several new woodprint works from artist Lucy Davis alongside works by photographers Shannon Lee Castleman and Kee Ya Ting. Two tales from ‘Islands after a Timber Boom’ comprise an underlying structure to the exhibition, vacillating between Muna Island, Southeast Sulawesi and Singapore island.

BETWEEN HERE AND NANYANG: MARCO HSU’S BRIEF HISTORY OF MALAYAN ART 22 August 2013 till 2015, NUS Museum, South and Southeast Asian Gallery In 1963, Marco Hsu, art critic and regular columnist who contributed articles about the history of Art in Malaya, published a series of essays on the cultural history of the people of the Malayan Peninsula, which were compiled into a book published in Chinese in the same year, A Brief History of Malayan Art. Through his analysis 46

ALUMNUS

Marco Hsu’s 1963 Chinese publication, 马来亚艺术简史, A Brief History of Malayan Art

University Cultural Centre 50 Kent Ridge Crescent National University of Singapore Singapore 119279 Tel: [65] 6516 8817 Fax: [65] 6778 3738 Website: www.nus.edu.sg/museum Email: museum@nus.edu.sg Blog: www.nusmuseum.blogspot.com Museum opening hours 10am – 7.30pm (Tuesdays to Saturdays) 10am – 6pm (Sundays) Closed on Mondays and Public Holidays Guided tours are available on request.

Charges may be applicable. Please email museum@nus.edu.sg or call (65) 6516 8817 for enquiries.

EARLY MODERNISM AND THE JAZZ AGE

IGOR STRAVINSKY Three Pieces for String Quartet DARIUS MILHAUD La Création du monde

THE AGE OF FEAR SERGE PROKOFIEV Peter and the Wolf (with film) DIMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH*

Symphony No. 5, Op. 47

8pm, 5 September 2014 (Friday), SOTA Concert Hall (Pre-show talk begins at 6.30pm), tickets at S$80, S$60, S$40 from SISTIC (10% discount for students, NSFs and seniors aged 55 and above), 1 hour 15 minutes with intermission

POST WAR DIRECTIONS KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN

Gesang der Junglinge JOHN CAGE Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano GYORGY LIGETI Chamber Concerto LUCIANO BERIO Folksongs (Chamber version)

LISTEN TO THE 20TH CENTURY

By Southbank Centre London Sinfonietta Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra The inspiring and seminal ‘Listen to the 20th Century’ presents an odyssey into the history of 20th century music led by the London Sinfonietta.

In the wake of the ambitious and much-acclaimed ‘The Rest is Noise’ festival, London’s Southbank Centre and London Sinfonietta now bring this sweeping expedition through 20th century music to Singapore in a fourday tour-de-force.

7.30pm, 30 September 2014, (Tuesday) Conservatory Concert Hall The Conservatory’s Head of Piano Studies, Professor Thomas Hecht takes to the stage in a programme of American piano masterworks, including the Singapore premiere of the new Piano Sonata he commissioned from the young award-winning American composer, Benjamin Pesetsky.

POST-WAR DIRECTIONS: MINIMALISM

10pm TERRY RILEY

In C

6pm, 6 September 2014 (Saturday), (3-part concert), SOTA Concert Hall (Pre-show talk (for all 3 parts) begins at 4.30pm) Tickets at S$100, S$80, S$60 from SISTIC (10% discount for students, NSFs and seniors aged 55 and above), 3 hours with intermission

NO MORE RULES TORU TAKEMITSU Rain Coming TOM ADES Chamber Symphony UNSUK CHIN Gougalon JAMES MACMILLAN* The Confessions of Isabelle Gowdie

3pm, 7 September 2014 (Sunday) SOTA Concert Hall (Pre-show talk begins at 1.30pm), tickets at S$80, S$60, S$40 from SISTIC, 10% discount for students, NSFs and seniors aged 55 and above, 1 hour 15 minutes with intermission)

TRIPLE TREAT Piano classics, Indian dance, fusion art and music.

THOMAS HECHT IVES

Singapore International Arts Festival

Break (1 hour)

* Conservatory Orchestra in collaboration with the London Sinfonietta

Break (1 hour)

THE ART OF THE STATES: AMERICAN PIANO CLASSICS Piano Piano Sonata No. 2 (1915) (“Concord, Mass., 1840-1860”)

III. The Alcotts BENJAMIN PESETSKY Piano Sonata (2014) - Singapore Premiere MAC DOWELL Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 50 (“Eroica”) (1895) GRIFFES The Lake at Evening, Op. 5 No. 1 (1910)

The White Peacock, Op. 7, No. 1 (1915)

Scherzo, Op. 6 No. 3 (1913) COPLAND/BERNSTEIN El Salon Mexico (1936)

STEVE REICH Different trains ARVO PÄRT Fratres ALFRED SCHNITTKE* Concerto Grosso No. 1

POST-WAR DIRECTIONS: AVANT GARDE

6pm CLAUDE DEBUSSY* Prélude à l’après midi d’un faune ANTON WEBERN* Passacaglia ARNOLD SCHOENBERG

Five pieces for orchestra EDGARD VARÈSE Octandre KURT WEILL With a variety of songs for mezzo-soprano

POST-WAR DIRECTIONS: CONTEMPORARY SPIRITUALITY

8pm 8pm, 3 September 2014 (Wednesday), SOTA Concert Hall (Pre-show talk begins at 6.30pm), tickets at S$80, S$60 & S$40 from SISTIC. 10% discount for students, NSFs and seniors aged 55 and above, 1 hour 15 minutes with intermission

Faculty Recital Series

of the development of art history in Malaya and Singapore, Marco Hsu raised questions of Malayan identities and culture for the young nation. The NUS Museum presents the exhibition on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the book’s publication. The Museum will use art and artefacts referred to by Marco Hsu to highlight questions of identity and nation building raised on the eve of an anticipated political development of significance: the creation of a merged, independent nation.

NUS MUSEUM

A concert titled ‘Early Modernism and the Jazz Age’ opens this programme with music of the turn of the century that reveals early breaks with classical traditions. Listen then dives into ‘The Age of Fear’, with Russian composers whose works suffered censorship at the hands of the Soviet regime.

In an epic three-part concert, Post War Directions leads us into a fascinating period of experimentation with pioneers of the avant-garde, contemporary spirituality and minimalism. Fast forward to the "now" in the final concert, ‘No More Rules’, the audience will find the new and radical compositions a stimulating surprise.

This concert series will be performed by the London Sinfonietta and Singapore’s Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra.

Thomas Hecht

HERE! 6.30pm, 22 August 2014 (Friday), (6pm registration and pre-show) University Cultural Centre, free admission Visit cfa.nus.edu.sg for more information.

Featuring popular local artists The Sam Willows, NUS alumni band Imprompt-3, and artistic talents from NUS Centre For the Arts groups, HERE! presents a bento box of different flavours, fusions and tastes that the arts and music can bring.

KRISHNA KATHA

By NUS Indian Dance 8pm, 20 September 2014 (Saturday), University Cultural Centre Theatre Visit cfa.nus.edu.sg for more information.

Expressive, graceful, intricate, rhythmic, tender. These are but

a few words that best describe Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance. Join NUS Indian Dance as they tell the tale of Krishna, the youthful prince and God-child, choreographed

by Cultural Medallion winner Mrs Santha Bhaskar.

NUS Centre For the Arts University Cultural Centre 50 Kent Ridge Crescent National University of Singapore Singapore 119279 Tel: [65] 6516 2492 Fax: [65] 6778 1956 Nearest MRT: Clementi, Kent Ridge Website: cfa.nus.edu.sg Email: cfamarketing@nus.edu.sg Facebook: www.facebook.com/NUSCFA Twitter: www.twitter.com/NUSCFA

All information correct at time of print and is subject to change without prior notice.

Please visit www.music.nus.edu.sg for updates.

Together Again (Wood:Cut) Part V: EVIDENCE

JUL–SEP 2014

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ALUMNI EVENTS

LAST WORD

Dates to REMEMBER

Evolution of an

IDENTITY

JULY TO SEPTEMBER 2014

IN 1905, THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS AND FEDERATED MALAY STATES GOVERNMENT MEDICAL SCHOOL was founded, sowing the seeds of what would become the NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE (NUS). Since then, the University has undergone vast changes in its constitution and identity.

The turn of the millennium ushered in a host of changes aimed at modernisation. For starters, in 2000, Convocation was renamed Commencement to emphasise how graduation marks a new beginning for graduates. That was also the year the University Cultural Centre — where Commencement is held every year — was opened. And in 2001, a new logo was unveiled.

1912

JULY

The name change of the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School to KING EDWARD VII MEDICAL SCHOOL was formalised with a coat of arms.

1928 RAFFLES COLLEGE was established to complement medical studies with the teaching of Arts and Sciences at the tertiary level.

5 JUL SAT Bukit Timah Homecoming 5.30pm, Upper Quadrangle, Bukit Timah Campus Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/BT14 Enquiries: Ms Josephine Chow at josephine@nus.edu.sg

30 JUL WED LIFESTYLE WORKSHOP

Create Your Own Personal Style (FOR NUS ALUMNAE ONLY) 6.30pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/LWjul14 Enquiries: Ms Valerie Vincent at valeriev@nus.edu.sg

31 JUL THU Senior Alumni Tea and Chat

1949

1955

NANYANG UNIVERSITY started classes in Jurong.

The Open Book

dates back to the crest of the University of Malaya in Singapore.

It establishes the University as a portal to a world of knowledge.

The Three Rings

are carried over from the Nanyang University crest. The rings symbolise NUS’ areas of focus — creating, imparting and applying knowledge — as well as the three hallmarks of a global university — creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. The interlocking rings denote the close interrelation between the three pillars, with each reinforcing and evolving from the other.

The Lion

aligns NUS with the nation. It also personifies the qualities of an ideal NUS graduate. The raised paw denotes boldness to initiate and inquire as well as a readiness to serve, while the raised tail symbolises integrity and idealism.

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ALUMNUS

2001

The birth of a modernised logo signifying the bold and dynamic NUS community and the university’s vision of being a leading global university centred in Asia.

1980

THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE was established with the merger of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University.

1962

The University of Malaya at Singapore was formally established as the UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE.

4pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Enquiries: Ms Irene See at irenesee@nus.edu.sg

31 JUL THU MOVIES ON THE HOUSE All information is correct at time of print and is subject to change without prior notice.

Raffles College was merged with King Edward VII College of Medicine to become the UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (PG)

7.30pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/MMjul14 Enquiries: Mr Kyaw Win Shwe at kyawwinshwe@nus.edu.sg

AUGUST

16 AUG SAT Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day 5pm, NUS University Town Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/KR14 Enquiries: Mr Kyaw Win Shwe at kyawwinshwe@nus.edu.sg

27 AUG WED U@LIVE

featuring Mr Zulkifli Bin Baharudin 7.30pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet Enquiries: Ms Josephine Chow at josephine@nus.edu.sg

28 AUG THU Senior Alumni Tea and Chat 4pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Enquiries: Ms Irene See at irenesee@nus.edu.sg

28 AUG THU MOVIES ON THE HOUSE The Internship (PG13) 7.30pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/MMaug14 Enquiries: Mr Kyaw Win Shwe at kyawwinshwe@nus.edu.sg

29 AUG FRI NUS Alumni Breakfast Dialogue with Mr Piyush Gupta 7.30am, NUSS Suntec City Guild House Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/BDaug14 Enquiries: Ms Lin Shushan at shushan@nus.edu.sg

SEPT EMBER

13 SEP SAT Alumni Leaders Forum 2014 9am, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Enquiries: Mr Chua Sin Chew at oarcsc@nus.edu.sg

18 SEP THU Thirsty Thursdays 6.30pm, The Mad Poet Gastrobar Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/TT1809 Enquiries: Mr Kyaw Win Shwe at kyawwinshwe@nus.edu.sg

25 SEP THU Senior Alumni Tea and Chat 4pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Enquiries: Ms Irene See at irenesee@nus.edu.sg

25 SEP THU MOVIES ON THE HOUSE

Lage Raho Munna Bhai (PG) 7.30pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at alumnet.nus.edu.sg/event/MMsep14 Enquiries: Mr Kyaw Win Shwe at kyawwinshwe@nus.edu.sg

29 SEP MON U@LIVE

featuring Professor Hsieh Tsun-Yan 7.30pm, Shaw Foundation Alumni House Register at www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet Enquiries: Ms Josephine Chow at josephine@nus.edu.sg OCT–DEC 2013

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